US actor Chadwik Boseman is well-known for his character Black Panther in the Marvel Superhero franchise.
The 43-year-old actor died today, on August 29, at his home in Los Angeles with his wife and family members by his side. Boseman was diagnosed with colon cancer four years ago but had not made the information public.
The news of his death has left his fans and the film world stunned in grief. ‘Get Out’ director, Jordan Peele, said that it was ‘a crushing blow.’
“A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much,” his family said in the statement.
Boseman came to prominence playing real life figures like- baseball player great Jackie Robinson in 2013’s 42, and soul singer James Brown in 2014’s Get on Up.
“From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and several more- all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy. It was the honor of his career to bring King T’Challa to life in Black Panther.”
Boseman stars as the ruler of Wakanda, a fictional African nation with the most advanced technology on earth.
As well as winning critical praise and taking more than $1.3 billion US dollars at cinemas worldwide, the film was widely seen as a cultural milestone for having a largely black case and a black director, Ryan Coogler.
Last year, Boseman said that the film had changed what it means to be “young, gifted and black.”
Black Panther was the first superhero film to get a nomination for best pictures at the Oscars. He also played the same role in other Marvel films like Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
A sequel was in the work and due to come out in 2022, with Boseman set to return.
The news of his death has come as a great shock to his fans as Boseman never discussed about his diagnosis publicly. However, fans had started raising concerns over his heath this year due to the noticeable weight loss.
Tributes hae already started to pour in for the star, including from his fellow co-star, Mark Ruffalo.
Actor Dwayne Johnson tweeted, “Thank you for shining your light and sharing your talent with the world. My love and strength to your family.”
The #WakandaForever has also been trending.
Born in South Carolina as the son of a nurse and an upholstery entrepreneur, Boseman graduated from Howard University in Washington DC.
In 2018, Boseman had returned to his university to speak at its graduation ceremony.
“Some of you here struggled against the university itself,” he said to the mostly minority ethnic audience.
“Many of you will leave Howard and enter systems and institutions that have a history of discrimination and marginalization. The fact that you have struggled with this university which you love is a sign that you can use your education to improve the world that you are entering.”
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