Black Panther’s Killmonger is a hot topic on social media today as folks are debating whether or not the Marvel character is a villain for the umpteenth time. This whole thing kicked off because Marvel Facts over on Twitter decided to unearth a quote from an old interview to invite some debate. Ah yes, Twitter, a platform that only knows like 5-8 debates that people shuffle through routinely, openly courts these kinds of exchanges through algorithmic poking and prodding.
Still, even with all of that said, here we are again! Killmonger is, if not the villain of Black Panther, the antagonist directly across from Chadwick Boseman’s King T’Challa in the 2018 MCU favorite. A lot of digital ink has been spilled debating the merits of Michael B. Jordan’s bad guy, and we’re about to let loose some more!
Since the release of Black Panther, fans have argued that Killmonger was, in some way misunderstood? I’ve never gotten that critique or mode of thinking. The world of the movie clearly positions Michael B. Jordan’s character as a bad guy. (Look no further than how he murders every single woman in a 6 foot radius indiscriminately, is mean to the elderly, disrespects a lot of the Wakandan traditions that he’s seeking to control, and oh yeah, throws Chadwick Boseman over a waterfall!)
That’s a long sheet of highlights right there. But, because Jordan is such a charismatic actor, Marvel fans can’t help but argue on his behalf. All of that despite the fact that the world of film makes it pretty clear that he’s the antagonist, and a villain of a different stripe. Yes, Killmonger isn’t as slimy as Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis). But he’s also no one I’d be rooting for unabashedly! And, because the film is so well made, you find yourself rooting for T’Challa to get him out of the paint during their climactic battle.
Michael B. Jordan made this Killmonger argument years ago
So, the silliest part of this entire controversy might be how old this interview really is. On Twitter it’s presented like it happened now. But with some careful Internet sleuthing, you can see that Jordan’s comments originate from a Bleacher Report interview with the lovely Taylor Rooks back in December of 2021. So, people online are really boxing shadows going over this for the 14th time in the last 24 months. But, for clarity’s sake, I’ll excerpt Jordan’s response to if Killmonger is a villain right here:
“I think he was a necessary part of the conversation. I think he cared about his people just as much as T’Challa. He just had a different way of going about getting it done,” Jordan recalled. “I think he was a historian that studied history, you know? He studied the history of government and oppression. Erik’s a very smart guy. MIT graduate. The guy is very intelligent. He saw that there was only really one way to change things, you know? So, he went about that. I don’t think his argument was completely wrong. Don’t think T’Challa’s argument was completely wrong. I think it was a necessary conversation that needed to be had.”
Michael B. Jordan’s villain and how he still hangs over the MCU
Jordan has clearly thought about Killmonger and his place in the larger pop cultural Canon. He also seems very aware that MCU fans love nothing more than debating whether or not his character is a villain. Fast forward sometime later, and he appeared in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. In that film, he provides a sort of devil on the shoulder for Shuri to enact her own revenge when Namor and the Talocan forces decimate Wakanda.
He’s the perfect avatar for what feels like righteous fury in the face of heartbreak. (Another clue from director Ryan Coogler that maybe we should be more skeptical of Killmonger, despite the charming nature he’s still got!) This debate isn’t going to end anytime soon sadly. People will argue this one until the heat death of the universe. But hey, now you’ll be able to flag that quote being used to farm engagement on social media next time it rolls across your feed.
(featured image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
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