Michael B Jordan Is Wrong, Killmonger Was Black Panther’s Villain

Contrary to Michael B. Jordan’s recent claim, Killmonger is Black Panther’s villain. Born N’Jadaka, Erik “Killmonger” Stevens (Michael B. Jordan) was a former US Navy SEAL lieutenant and a black-ops mercenary. He notably appeared in the 2018 Academy Award-winning film Black Panther, bringing a dangerous match to Chadwick Boseman’s King T’Challa. In the years that followed the blockbuster’s release, viewers debated whether Killmonger was the story’s villain — a query Jordan vehemently denied, prompting disagreement among the film’s audience.

Jordan recently appeared in an interview with Bleacher Report, where he agreed with the host’s claim of Killmonger not being a villain in Black Panther. Believing that Killmonger was a “necessary part of the conversation,” he expanded that his character — tagged as an antagonist — had the same level of care and concern for his people as T’Challa. The actor seemingly suggested that the motivations of his Marvel persona were as valid as the Wakandan king’s. However, Jordan reiterated that the difference between the two is their method of reaching their goals, with Killmonger standing by what he had been taught and executing what he knew would work.

Unfortunately, Killmonger’s motivations did not render his villainous side invalid. Ultimately, because the end – however noble –cannot justify the violent means, Killmonger was indeed Black Panther’s villain. Although he expressed his desire to help end the oppression of black communities around the world, he still committed questionable, destructive, and murderous actions. For starters, Killmonger stopped at nothing to claim the Wakandan throne. He had no second thoughts in killing Zuri, and mortally wounding and throwing T’Challa off the side of the Warrior Falls. After receiving the power of the heart-shaped herb, he ordered the burning of the entire garden, ignoring traditions and eliminating the country’s resources in the process. Additionally, apart from causing a coup d’état, Killmonger sent out Vibranium weapons to their War Dogs, with the intent of toppling down global administrations until African-Americans ruled the world. All this means that, despite his pathos, Killmonger is still an antagonist.

What made Black Panther a successful film was the complexity of Killmonger as a villain, achieved by his tragically rich backstory. His motivations were justified by a lifetime’s worth of anger, resentment, and injustice. Rooted in reality, his experiences reflected relevant modern-day issues on race, equality, and society. Killmonger was depicted as an abandoned, misunderstood kid who missed out on his supposed life and consequently, wanted to claim what was rightfully his. His intentions were then considered to be valid because he only wanted Wakanda to use its resources in a more meaningful and impactful way, reaching those who were in situations similar to him and empowering his brothers and sisters. In fact, by the end of BlackPanther, T’Challa heeded his cousin’s plan of opening up the borders of Wakanda, proving how strong his arguments were. Nevertheless, regardless of how noble his motivations were, his unethical actions still categorized him as a villain, albeit a well-realized one.

This exploration of Killmonger’s character is similar to the Mad Titan, Thanos’. Both had endured being deprived and abandoned, so they desperately sought ways of preventing others from sharing their experiences. While Thanos’ intent of balancing the universe’s population and resources had convincing reasoning, his method of achieving this by wiping out half of all life was still vile and unforgivable. Moreover, as seen in What If…? episode 6, Killmonger was truly irredeemable. As long as his origin story remained the same — involving his father’s exile and his abandonment — Black Panther‘s Killmonger would always be filled with resentment and disregard for loyalty and people’s lives, making him one of the MCU’s most celebrated villains.

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