Sinners Star Michael B. Jordan Allegedly Wants Huge Miami Vice Payday After Oscars Win

Michael B. Jordan has starred in so many hit films, it's astonishing. He most recently won an Oscar for playing the twin brothers Smoke and Stack in Ryan Coogler's jazz-era vampire film "Sinners," which grossed over $370 million. Coogler and Jordan clearly work well together; the pair also made "Creed" in 2015, which grossed $173.6 million, and that film spawned two Jordan-starring sequels that grossed $214 million and $276 million, respectively. 

Jordan also played the villainous Killmonger in Coogler's ultra-hit "Black Panther," which made $1.35 billion (!). Jordan's character even had a cameo in the follow-up, "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," which made over $859 million. Heck, Jordan even starred in the found-footage superhero movie "Chronicle" back in 2012, which made over $126 million on a $15 million budget. There's no doubting that Jordan is a valuable presence in Hollywood. 

This is likely the reason why the actor asked for a pay increase to star in the upcoming film adaptation of "Miami Vice." The latest "Miami Vice" movie was announced back in October of 2025, with Jordan in talks (at the time) to play the character of Tubbs, with "F1" helmer Joseph Kosinski directing. The InSneider recently reported that Jordan may appear in "Miami Vice" but would like an $18 million paycheck for the gig. This is a reasonable demand, given the numbers listed above. Jordan knows his value, and the increased paycheck makes perfect sense. Especially since "Miami Vice" is a well-known I.P., and Kosinski also tends to direct hits ("F1" and "Top Gun: Maverick" were both blockbusters). It seems that Jordan's representative at his talent agency, James Farrell, told Jordan to pick up negotiations after Oscar night. Now that Jordan won, he was within his rights to ask for more money.

For those unfamiliar, "Miami Vice" was a hot crime TV series that aired for five seasons and 114 episodes between 1986 and 1990. It was incredibly sexy and stylish, and starred Don Johnson as Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Tubbs, a pair of police detectives with interesting backstories. Crockett was a former football player, while Tubbs was a former NYPD detective who experienced culture shock on the beaches of Florida. The show was famed for its use of pop culture references and pop music. Noted filmmaker Michael Mann served as the show's executive producer, and even adapted the show into a 2006 feature film starring Colin Farrell as Crockett and Jamie Foxx as Tubbs. 

A source at the InSneider noted that Michael B. Jordan wanted $18 million to play Tubbs, but also that Tom Cruise — whom director Kosinski worked with on "Top Gun: Maverick" and "Oblivion" — would want to play the film's villain. The ultra-handsome star of "Elvis," Austin Butler, was announced as being in talks to play the film's Crockett. With those three actors involved, and that director at the helm, there's little doubt that "Miami Vice" would be a hit, so Jordan was wise to ask for more. 

This sort of salary increase following a notable hit is common in Hollywood. The InSneider pointed out that Leonardo DiCaprio did something similar back in 1997. After starring in James Cameron's "Titanic" — still one of the biggest films of all time — DiCaprio asked for a whopping $20 million to next appear in Danny Boyle's 1998 film "The Beach." 28 years later, Jordan's $18 million seems downright reasonable. There's no doubt he'll get what he asked for.