Michael B. Jordan Worries America Is on 'Slippery Slope' Toward a Dystopian Future

"If we don't start making conscious decisions and asking questions and resisting what we're constantly being fed, we're on a slippery slope down a way where we don't want to be," Jordan told Stephen Colbert on Tuesday night when commenting on the similarities to our society and the dystopian world of "Fahrenheit 451."

The upcoming HBO film, based on the science fiction novel by Ray Bradbury, focuses on a futuristic society in which all books are outlawed and "firemen" burn them all.

"Guy Montag is the poster boy for burning books and art and music and controlling the internet. Basically what goes up on the internet," the actor said about his character. "It's kinda similar to what we're going through today."

"Ray Bradbury wasn't a Luddite, you know, he loved technology," Jordan explained about the story. "Our adaptation is based around the technology that we have today. ... He was against media, he was against advertising in the sense of dumb images, of numbing your senses and not being able to free-think, not being to critically think and problem-solve."

Jordan also discussed the wild success of "Black Panther" and how he prepares for roles. "What we usually do with our characters is we write a backstory," explained the actor who played Killmonger in the Marvel blockbuster. "I write a journal. I have journals or diaries or whatever for every character that I have, from the earliest memory to the first page of the script. And for me, it kind of gives you context."

Jordan described his journal for the Marvel villain as "particularly dark."

"It was a very sad journal," Jordan said. "Not having his mom growing up, in and out of the system, foster homes and whatnot. But it's a lot of dark stuff that's probably not right for television. But it was deep, man, and it allowed me to kind of go to that place right before a scene. It allowed me to lock in."

"Fahrenheit 451" premieres May 19th on HBO.