Michael B. Jordan Signs First Look Deal With Warner Bros., Will Continue Dominating The Big Screen For The Foreseeable Future

When I interviewed the directors of the under-seen and underrated science fiction film Kin, they told me a story about Michael B. Jordan, who served as a producer on the project. "Michael's the guy that goes up for and steals all the white roles; he prides himself on it, as he should," director Josh Baker explained. In short, the Black Panther and Creed star is all about disrupting the Hollywood norms, where the default lead is always a white guy.

And now, Jordan has made a deal with a major Hollywood studio to keep doing what he does. He has signed a first-look deal with Warner Bros., which means more Michael B. Jordan on the big screen. Sometimes, Hollywood gets things right.

Variety has the story. This first-look deal gives Warner Bros. first dibs on anything Jordan's production company, Outlier Society, develops. First up is the drama Just Mercy, which stars Jordan as real-life attorney Bryan Stevenson, who worked to release a wrongfully imprisoned man. The film will also be the first to utilize Warner Bros.' new diversity policy, which will work to diversify the cast and crew of the studio's future projects.

Warner Bros. chairman Toby Emmerich issued this glowing statement, as is tradition with announcements like these:

"Michael has become a leading voice in a new generation of talent and is creating real change in the industry. His talent is undeniable, and beyond that, his commitment and conviction around representation and inclusion are inspiring — he truly walks the walk. We're extremely proud to be in business with him and excited about a number of projects on the horizon."

And Jordan's statement matches that one:

"Warner Bros. is the perfect home for myself, my brilliant president of production Alana Mayo and Outlier Society. I have a tremendous amount of respect for their visionary leadership and commitment to producing a broad slate of films, which gives us more range and more opportunity as producers. Most importantly, they share my passion for telling unique, creatively-fulfilling stories and giving a voice to the next generation of talent."

This doesn't mean Jordan will exclusively work for Warner Bros., of course – Paramount has set him to star as Tom Clancy's military action hero John Clark in an adaptation of Without Remorse. However, this deal does suggest that WB knows which way the wind is blowing and knows that Jordan is going to continue to be a major player in Hollywood, both on screen and behind-the-scenes. And honestly, cinema is only going to get richer with more Jordan, a talented actor who is unafraid to speak his mind and push for positive change behind-the-scenes.