John Kelly like a master chess player: Michael B Jordan on his ‘Without Remorse’ role

By PTI
LOS ANGELES: Hollywood star Michael B Jordon, who plays John Kelly in Amazon Prime Video’s adaptation of Tom Clancy’s novel “Without Remorse”, says his character is like a master chess player who methodically maps out every step along the way to achieve his goals.

The thriller film, starring Jordan, Jamie Bell, Colman Domingo amongst others, is a spin-off of the iconic Jack Ryan film series and an origin story of the character in the Clancy universe.

According to the official log line, an elite Navy SEAL uncovers an international conspiracy while seeking justice for the murder of his pregnant wife in Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse, the explosive origin story of action hero John Clark, one of the most popular characters in Clancy’s Jack Ryan universe.

When a squad of Russian soldiers kills his family in retaliation for his role in a top-secret op, Sr.

Chief John Kelly pursues the assassins at all costs.

Joining forces with a fellow SEAL and a shadowy CIA agent, Kelly’s mission unwittingly exposes a covert plot that threatens to engulf the U.S and Russia in an all-out war.

“While it’s true that Kelly is a far-deadlier warrior than the analytic Ryan, there’s more to the character than mere muscle,” Jordan said in a release.

Ryan is an intel operative, while Kelly is a soldier who gets things done by any means necessary.

“But when it comes to achieving his goals, Kelly is like a master chess player who methodically maps out every step along the way. Chess is something I personally wanted to incorporate into the film, because when John is on a mission, he always has specific objectives in mind, and to achieve them he makes strategic moves and decisions,” the actor said in a statement.

Jordan, best known for his roles in “Black Panther” and the “Creed” franchise, said the chess analogy goes further in the film as they played with the idea that war is a game of pawns and kings.

“Oftentimes in war, soldiers are referred to as pawns, because they’re the ones that go out and do the dirty work on behalf of the larger agenda.

They’re the boots on the ground, and they’re out there fighting for their lives while the protected kings and queens sit back and give the orders.

Then you have the rest of the pieces that are like the generals on the battlefield,” the actor said.

Directed by Stefano Sollima, “Without Remorse” is all set to release globally on April 30 on Amazon Prime Video.