Michael B. Jordan Had A Small Role In A Forgotten George Lucas War Movie That Deserves More Love

Michael B. Jordan's resume is filled with plenty of noteworthy projects, from playing Erik Killmonger in Marvel's "Black Panther" and the titular character of the "Creed" trilogy to taking on the dual role of twins Elijah and Elias Moore in Ryan Coogler's "Sinners," which broke the record for most Oscar nominations in 2026. However, one of the movies people might not realize is part of Jordan's filmography is the 2012 war drama "Red Tails." He portrays Maurice "Bumps" Wilson, a flight officer in World War II. 

Executive produced by George Lucas (who later stepped in to direct during extensive reshoots), "Red Tails" is loosely based on the real story of the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of primarily African-American military pilots who played an important role in the Second World War. They were named after the base they trained at in Tuskegee, Alabama, marking the first time Black men were trained as pilots in the Army Air Corps. The pilots took part in missions in the Mediterranean and North Africa, which is depicted in the film as the team assist in Italy and fly against a group of German planes.

"Red Tails" dropped to lukewarm reviews back in 2012, earning a 41% critical score and a 57% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, while it will never be considered one of the best World War II movies ever made, it absolutely deserves a second look. Not only does it highlight the important role that Black military personnel played in the Second World War, but it has a stellar cast. Time Out was among the outlets who were full of praise for the ensemble, writing that "the cast acquit themselves admirably." So who else stars in the film?

Cuba Gooding Jr. is Emanuel Stance, the major for the Black pilots. He's joined by Leslie Odom Jr. as Declan Hall, musician Ne-Yo as 2nd Lt. Andrew Salem, and David Oyelowo — the Golden Globe-nominated actor known for portraying Martin Luther King Jr. in "Selma" — as 1st Lt. Joe Little. Other notable performers in the movie include Bryan Cranston, Nate Parker, and Elijah Kelley. Along with Michael B. Jordan, that equates to a lot of talent.

Sure, the ratings are a bit low, but that's largely down to the writing. If you ignore the odd piece of dry dialogue, there's a lot to love about "Red Tails" — not only are the performances enjoyable, but the flying scenes are thrilling. There are a lot of action movies with bad Rotten Tomatoes scores that are still worth watching, and this is one of them.