A Marvel Star Made An Appearance In Bones Years Before His Big Break

Michael B. Jordan is one of the most exciting actors of his generation. Ever since breakout role as Wallace in "The Wire," Jordan has left a mark on every project he's been (here are his best roles, according to us), with memorable roles in everything from soaps like "All My Children," to indie work like "Fruitvale Station" and even superhero fare like his excellent job as Killmonger in "Black Panther" — truly, every time Jordan collaborates with Ryan Coogler, they produce magic, which is why we absolutely can't wait for "Sinners." Then there's his directorial work in "Creed III," a fantastic film that brings anime aesthetics and rivalries to the popular boxing franchise.

Jordan is an example of why overnight success isn't really a thing with actors. Sure, there are roles that can give an actor a much bigger audience (and paycheck), but those don't happen in the blink of an eye. Instead, they are the product of years of hard work and smaller successes across many roles. Did Michael B. Jordan become a superstar thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Or "Creed"? What about "Friday Night Lights"? Or what about Jordan's guest appearance in an episode of "Bones"? That's right, before his acclaimed roles in indie films, before his superhero roles took him to the next level of worldwide recognition, Michael B. Jordan appeared in /Film's favorite procedural, "Bones."  

Michael B. Jordan had a small, one-off role in "Bones," specifically the season 5 episode "The Plain in the Prodigy." In the episode, Jordan plays Wilson, the boyfriend of Michelle, who is the foster daughter of main character Camille Saroyan (played by Tamara Taylor). Unsurprisingly, Wilson gets the Reggie from "Bad Boys 2" treatment, immediately being intimidated by the Jeffersonian gang — particularly David Boreanaz's Booth.

Unfortunately, Jordan doesn't get to do much in the episode, as he is mostly there to be a comic relief when the other characters mock him or try to scare him away. The main plot of the episode concerns a member of the Amish community who died during his exploration of the outside world, and Brennan and Booth's investigation about whether the kid being a piano prodigy got him killed. It's far from the most outlandish things "Bones" ever did — like dedicating an entire episode to promoting James Cameron's "Avatar" — but it's still a good encapsulation of what makes the show fun.

With "Bones" potentially returning for a new season, what actors of tomorrow will follow Michael B. Jordan's footsteps and get their start, or at least a quick stopover, in the procedural?