The world-burning of Michael B. Jordan

In Fahrenheit 451 and beyond, the acclaimed young actor is ready to burn it all down

Michael B. Jordan.
(Image credit: Michael Gibson/HBO)

Some men, as the saying goes, just want to watch the world burn. Michael B. Jordan may not be one of these men — but he sure seems to enjoy playing them.

In a three-month span, Jordan has portrayed two characters with literal and figurative penchants for fire. In February, he brought Erik "Killmonger" Stevens to life in Ryan Coogler's blockbuster Black Panther, while his turn as Guy Montag in Ramin Bahrani's Fahrenheit 451 will premiere Saturday. Both characters are prone to incineration. But while Montag begins as an agent of the system, using literal flames to solidify the government's stranglehold on its citizens, Killmonger is out to burn it all down.

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Andy Crump

Bostonian culture journalist Andy Crump covers the movies, beer, music, and being a dad for way too many outlets, perhaps even yours: Paste Magazine, The Playlist, Mic, The Week, Hop Culture, and Inverse, plus others. You can follow him on Twitter and find his collected writing at his personal blog. He is composed of roughly 65 percent craft beer.