Chadwick Boseman, Star Of Black Panther, Is Dead At 43
Chadwick Boseman, best known for playing T’Challa the Black Panther in numerous Marvel movies, is dead at the age of 43.
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Chadwick Boseman, best known for playing T’Challa the Black Panther in numerous Marvel movies, is dead at the age of 43. He died Friday August 28, 2020 at his home in Los Angeles with his wife and loved ones by his side. Cause of death was complications due to a long battle with Colon Cancer.
Unbeknownst to Black Panther fans, Chadwick Boseman was diagnosed with Colon Cancer in 2016 and had been battling heroically against the fatal affliction ever since. He went through multiple surgeries and intensive chemotherapy, to no avail. That means he was even dealing with cancer while filming his scenes for movies like Black Panther. He never let it affect his work and his diagnosis was kept secret.
Boseman’s family posted the following, heartbreaking announcement on Twitter to commemorate his passing…
Chadwick Boseman was last seen on screen in the Netflix movie Da 5 Bloods where he received critical acclaim for his performance.
Most Liked Tweet Of All Time
The post made through Chadwick Boseman’s twitter account by his family, announcing his death, is now the most liked tweet of all time on Twitter. Twitter announced it with this post commemorating it…
As of this writing the post had 6.9 million likes and rising.
Chadwick Boseman’s Final Film
Don’t be surprised if Marvel makes a lot of noise about continuing the Black Panther franchise in his honor, in the coming months. That film was one of their most successful movies ever. Yet it’s hard to imagine making those movies without him, especially now. Maybe Black Panther 2 will move forward without Chadwick Boseman, but I hope not. He’ll always be the one and only Black Panther.
Meanwhile Chadwick Boseman’s final on screen appearance will be in a movie called Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. The movie has already completed filming. When that’s released it will be his final role. The movie is based on an August Williams play about an afternoon Jazz recording session taking place in 1927.
May Rainey’s Black Bottom is owned by Netflix and they made this announcement concerning their plans for the movie, in the wake of Chadwick Boseman’s tragic death…
“We are heartbroken over today’s news of the passing of Chadwick Boseman, a ‘true fighter’ as his family called him in their poignant tribute. This is an incredible loss. We are cancelling Monday’s preview event of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Please join us in sending your thoughts to his family and loved ones.“
Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos went on to praise the star saying, “Chadwick was a superhero on screen and in life, and it’s impossible to imagine working at the level he has while valiantly battling his illness. His legacy as a person and an artist will inspire millions. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family during this difficult time.“
Denzel Washington was one of the producers on Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (and he actually helped pay Boseman’s way through college) and he had this to say of Chadwick: “He was a gentle soul and a brilliant artist,who will stay with us for eternity through his iconic performances over his short yet illustrious career. God bless Chadwick Boseman.“
In Memoriam
Chadwick Boseman was a devout Christian, born in Anderson, South Carolina. He rose to fame relatively late in life, only going to work in movies after graduating from Howard University in 2000 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in directing. He really gained prominence in 2013 when he played the legendary baseball player Jackie Robinson in the biopic 42.
It wasn’t until he took on the role of T’Challa the Black Panther that Chadwick Boseman really rocketed into super-stardom. He began that journey in 2013 when he appeared as the Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War. He was to reprise the role in Black Panther 2, but now his final appearance as that character will be his turn in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.
Recently there had been some concern over Boseman’s health when pictures of him looking gaunt appeared online.
Some fans voiced concern for his health at the time, but most assumed he’d simply lost a ton of weight for a specific role. Now we know the sad truth, that behind the scenes Chadwick Boseman and his family were fighting a losing battle against a horrific killer. He may have quietly been an even bigger off screen than he was on.
