See Him In: The Wire; Fruitvale Station Look Out For Him In: Creed He's devastating as Wallace in the first season of The Wire (he was fourteen in the role for which devout fans of the show will always remember him), and he deserved an Oscar nomination for his powerful portrayal as Oscar Grant in Fruitvale Station a couple of years ago, but now Michael B. Jordan's name is on the mainstream's lips thanks to Creed, the Rocky spin-off which has won the actor rave reviews across the pond (the film drops here mid-January). That film, touted as a potential Oscar candidate in categories including Best Picture and Best Actor, is finishing 2015 (and starting 2016) as one of the best reviewed of the year, with much of the praise coming for Jordan's performance as the startling titular centrepiece. The actor also made his now seemingly obligatory (for a young up-and-comer) superhero debut in 2015, in the much maligned Fantastic Four reboot. The film tanked, but it remains that MBJ now has clout as both a box-office and an indie actor, and should Creed triumph at the 2016 Academy Awards, expect to see Jordan become one of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood. Jordan is a frightening presence right now, bulked up to imitate Carl Weathers' Apollo Creed from the original Rocky series. But there's more to his style than just the ability to alter his appearance, and in fact there's an intense vulnerability to his acting, made most evident in his unforgettable final scene in The Wire, and too in Fruitvale Station, a performance which will break your heart. As an end note, Jordan could become the next true, African-American star in Hollywood. For one reason or another, there hasn't really been one of note since Denzel Washington, so let's hope MBJ can pick up the mantle.