Michael B. Jordan Brings Rico Tubbs to Life in a Gray Suit and White Tie in First ‘Miami Vice’ Set Photos

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Few TV shows have shaped how an era looked as strongly as ‘Miami Vice.’ The pastel jackets, fast cars and neon-soaked nights became shorthand for the 1980s, and the series influenced everything from fashion to filmmaking. So it’s no surprise that every costume choice in a new adaptation gets examined like evidence.

Universal’s reboot has been moving quickly since production began earlier this month. The studio released a pair of official first-look images, and fans have been waiting for the first candid shots from set. Now they have them.

The new first look at Michael B. Jordan on set of ‘Miami Vice’ shows the actor as Ricardo Tubbs in a light gray suit, black shirt and white tie, with white shoes and a gun in his hand. One photo catches him adjusting his jacket beside a dark vintage car on a wet street, while another has him standing in front of a brick building with a stern, focused expression. The look is sleek, stylized and clearly rooted in the 1980s.

The set photos mark a shift from the official first-look image released on October 12. In that picture, Jordan appeared bearded and stern in all-black attire with a tie and a leather jacket. The new look swaps the darker palette for a lighter suit that nods more directly to the show’s famous wardrobe.

It also echoes Austin Butler’s first appearances as Sonny Crockett. Official images showed him aiming a gun in a gray suit, while set photos from New Jersey caught him in pastel and white. The costume design appears to balance classic series imagery with a more serious tone.

The film, titled ‘Miami Vice ’85,’ is directed by Joseph Kosinski of ‘F1’ and ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’ It’s written by Dan Gilroy, whose credits include ‘Nightcrawler’ and ‘Andor,’ from a first draft by Eric Warren Singer. Kosinski is shooting for IMAX, and the story is inspired by the pilot and first season of the series.

Unlike Michael Mann’s 2006 feature, which traded pastel suits for digital grit, this version stays in the mid-1980s. Universal describes it as exploring the glamour and corruption of that era’s Miami. The title itself tells you the setting, and it treats the decade as a period piece rather than a modern backdrop.

Jordan is the latest actor to play Tubbs, a role originated by Philip Michael Thomas in the series and later played by Jamie Foxx in the 2006 film. Butler follows Don Johnson and Colin Farrell as Crockett. Those are big comparisons, but both actors have a track record of taking on iconic characters.

Jordan is an Academy Award winner who has also moved into directing, and he’s attached to a remake of ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’ opposite Adria Arjona. Butler earned an Oscar nomination for ‘Elvis’ and played Feyd-Rautha in ‘Dune: Part Two.’ Together, they give the reboot significant star power.

The ensemble is growing. Alden Ehrenreich has joined the cast, and a larger lineup reportedly includes names such as Walton Goggins and Haley Lu Richardson. Dylan Clark, whose credits include ‘The Batman’ and ‘The Penguin,’ is producing alongside Kosinski.

The production has been filming in the New York area, with earlier set photos emerging from New Jersey. That makes for plenty of opportunities for fans to catch glimpses of the cast in costume. Expect more photos as shooting continues.

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‘Miami Vice ’85’ Set Photos Show Austin Butler’s Sonny Crockett in Pastel and White as Filming Heats Up in New Jersey

The film was originally set for August 6, 2027, but Universal moved it to May 19, 2028, while advancing the next ‘The Mummy’ installment to October 15, 2027. That means fans will wait a little longer to see Crockett and Tubbs on screen. The original pilot aired on NBC in September 1984, so the new film will arrive almost 44 years later.

That long runway gives the studio time to build excitement, and the steady release of first-look images is part of the strategy. For now, the style is leading the story.

What do you think of Michael B. Jordan’s first set look as Rico Tubbs in 'Miami Vice '85'?

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