Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman passed away on August 28 after a four-year battle against colon cancer. Since Boseman's passing, Black Panther director Ryan Coogler, co-star Angela Bassett, and many of his Avengers co-stars have taken the time to pay tribute to the late actor and reflect on his legacy.
Boseman made his first appearance as T'Challa as a supporting player in Marvel Studios' Captain America: Civil War before reprising the role as the lead of Black Panther. The latter became a box office hit and pop culture phenomenon, making Boseman's Black Panther one of the most popular characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially to generations of Black people around the world. During the filming of Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and non-Marvel projects, Boseman privately underwent multiple surgeries and chemotherapy after being diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016, which eventually progressed to stage IV before 2020.
Twitter announced the post confirming Boseman's passing became the most-liked tweet of all time as fans expressed their grief upon hearing the tragic news. In a statement paying tribute to Boseman, Black Panther director Ryan Coogler recalled his experience working with Boseman and the dedication he gave to his craft even as he was privately fighting for his life. "Chad deeply valued his privacy, and I wasn’t privy to the details of his illness. After his family released their statement, I realized that he was living with his illness the entire time I knew him. Because he was a caretaker, a leader, and a man of faith, dignity and pride, he shielded his collaborators from his suffering. He lived a beautiful life. And he made great art. Day after day, year after year. That was who he was. He was an epic firework display. I will tell stories about being there for some of the brilliant sparks till the end of my days. What an incredible mark he’s left for us," Coogler wrote of the late actor.
In a post on her official Instagram account, Bassett recounted her first meeting with Boseman long before they played mother and son in Black Panther, adding that she is "honored that we enjoyed that full circle experience. This young man’s dedication was awe-inspiring, his smile contagious, his talent unreal." Additional actors who paid tribute to Boseman on social media include, but are not limited to, Avengers: Endgame stars Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Don Cheadle, Black Panther star Forest Whitaker, Marvel Studios co-president Louis D'Esposit, and Marshall co-star Josh Gad.
"Chadwick’s passing is absolutely devastating. He was our T’Challa, our Black Panther, and our dear friend. Each time he stepped on set, he radiated charisma and joy, and each time he appeared on screen, he created something truly indelible. He embodied a lot of amazing people in his work, and nobody was better at bringing great men to life. He was as smart and kind and powerful and strong as any person he portrayed. Now he takes his place alongside them as an icon for the ages. The Marvel Studios family deeply mourns his loss, and we are grieving tonight with his family," said Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige in a statement to Variety. In a statement to the same outlet, Disney Chairman Bob Iger said, "He brought enormous strength, dignity, and depth to his groundbreaking role of Black Panther; shattering myths and stereotypes, becoming a long-awaited hero to millions around the world, and inspiring us all to dream bigger and demand more than the status quo."
While much of the reflection on Boseman's legacy has been understandably focused on his work in Black Panther, he was also known for portraying important historical figures over the course of his career. After portraying Jackie Robinson in 42, Boseman took on the roles of singer James Brown in Get on Up and Thurgood Marshall in the aforementioned biopic on the late Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
While there are some who are concerned about the future of Marvel Studios' Black Panther franchise in the wake of Boseman's death, most agree that those questions are best left for a later time. For now, many are focused on paying their respects to Boseman and processing the grief that came with his passing.
Black Panther is now available on Disney+.
Sources: Marvel, Variety, Good Morning America, Angela Bassett/Instagram, Mark Ruffalo/Twitter, Josh Gad/Twitter, Chris Evans/Twitter, Don Cheadle/Twitter, Louis D'Esposito/Twitter