Eddie Murphy Turned Down Working With Ryan Coogler

Coming 2 America, the highly anticipated sequel to the popular comedy, drops on Amazon Prime March 5. However, it could have been an entirely different film with Ryan Coogler directing and Michael B. Jordan starring alongside Eddie Murphy but the legendary comedian declined. 

Murphy, 59, recently told the New York Times that Coogler pitched him a version with Jordan, “[Coogler] had an idea for Michael B. Jordan to play my son and he would be looking for a wife. I was like, then the movie would be about the son, it’s not our characters, we already did that. It didn’t come together.”

Directed by Craig Brewer and co-written by Murphy, Coming 2 America will see his character return as Prince Akeem who is set to be crowned as king. However, he soon discovers that he has a son from Queens, New York that he never knew about. To honor his father’s (James Earl Jones) dying wish and to prepare his son to be the newly crowned prince, Murphy’s beloved character returns to America once again. 

RELATED: Watch Eddie Murphy On Set For ‘Coming To America 2’

Wesley Snipes, Leslie Jones, Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, Shari Headley and KiKi Layne will also star alongside Murphy. 

Watch the trailer below: