By Keaton Rahman

On August 29, at the age of 43, actor Chadwick Boseman lost his four-year battle with colon cancer. Diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016, Boseman, for reasons still unknown, hid his disease from the world and proceeded to star in at least 10 movies until his passing. In the statement released on all his social media accounts by his family, “all (the movies) were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy.” The statement also adds that, “He died in his home with his wife and family by his side.” Boseman’s early death shocked his fans. However, Boseman’s colon cancer provided an explanation for his sudden weight loss, something fans pointed out in mid-April after he went live on Instagram. Many assumed this was for a new role, but it was a cause for concern. Later in June, Boseman was seen being rushed into a hospital in Santa Monica, by his wife, Taylor Simone Ledward, further proving something was wrong.

Chadwick Boseman at Comic Con 2017. Photo credit: Gage Skidmore.

Boseman, best known for his role of King T’Challa in Black Panther, had a fairly late start to his career, with his first major role being Jackie Robinson in the movie 42. 42, released in 2013, three years before Boseman’s cancer diagnosis, took the viewer through Robinson’s baseball career as the first Black man in the major leagues. About 60 years before the release of 42, Robinson starred in his own movie about his life, The Jackie Robinson Story. According to Todd McCarthy at The Hollywood Reporter, “It’s a strange thing to say, but it’s true that Boseman is considerably more convincing playing Robinson than Robinson himself was in the 1950 film.”

42 jump started Boseman’s career, landing him his most well-known role as part of the Marvel franchise, as T’Challa began his journey with the Avengers in Captain America: Civil War (2016). T’Challa enters the world of the Avengers after his father is killed in a press conference regarding Wakanda, their home. T’Challa is now forced to take on the role of the Wakandan king and determined to discover the people behind his father’s death. Boseman reprised this role in his own movie, Black Panther. Released in 2018, the film revolves around the country of Wakanda and the royal family’s attempts to protect it from the outside world. Boseman, alongside stars Lupita Nyong’o, Letitia Wright, and Micheal B. Jordan, led Black Panther to tremendous success. After only two months in the theater, according to Fox News, “Black Panther has officially sunk the $695 million box office record set by Titanic.” Boseman also went on to star in Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: End Game (2019), reprising his role as T’Challa in both. 

Away from the Marvel Franchise, Boseman took on the role of Stormin’ Norman in Da 5 Bloods which was released in June on Netflix. Directed by Spike Lee, Da 5 Bloods is the story of four Black Vietnam War veterans who travel back to their old battleground in Vietnam to locate the body of their deceased squad leader (played by Boseman in flashback scenes), and with him is allegedly a large pile of gold bricks. This becomes a mission of closure and a hunt for gold. Norman appears in the many flashbacks that occur during the duration of the movie, providing lengthy fictional speeches and leading his squad through the war. According to film critic Odie Henderson at RogerEbert.com, “After playing real-life Black legends like James Brown, Thurgood Marshall, and Jackie Robinson, not to mention the fictional king of Wakanda, Boseman doesn’t need to overplay his mythical status.” Henderson writes about Boseman as a Black role model, stating, “A shot of him just shooting the **** with an Afro pick rising up from the back of his head carries enough unapologetic Blackness to power a nuclear reactor of revolution.” 

Chadwick Boseman and Danai Gurira at Comic Con 2016. Photo credit: Gage Skidmore.

Throughout his short lifetime, Chadwick Boseman left lasting impacts on those around him. Co-stars such as Nyong’o, Chris Evans, and Jordan, as well as former president Barack Obama, all took to social media to express their sadness in Boseman’s passing. Nyong’o wrote in a tweet, “He set the bar high by working with a generosity of spirit, creating an ego-free environment by sheer example.” She goes on to say, “when I was around Chadwick, I wanted to be better, less petty, more purposeful… He was fueled by love, not fear.” Jordan expresses his sadness in an Instagram post, concluding his statement with, “I’m dedicating the rest of my days to live the way you did. With grace, courage, and no regrets.” Beloved by many, Boseman’s passing broke the hearts of fans and actors alike.