More Than a King: Remembering Chadwick Boseman, Five Years On

Today is the fifth anniversary of the death of actor Chadwick Boseman, who died of colon cancer on August 28, 2020. He was 43.

In remembering and honoring Chadwick today, I share (with added images and links) the following article by Paige Boyd, published earlier today at Majicatl.com.

_________________

Five years ago, the world lost a monumental talent. Chadwick Boseman was more than an actor; he was a force of nature on screen, bringing dignity, strength, and profound humanity to every role. While he is globally celebrated for his iconic portrayal of King T’Challa in Black Panther, his body of work is rich with powerful performances that deserve the same level of recognition. As we remember his incredible legacy, let’s explore some of the roles that showcase the true depth of his remarkable skill.

The Understated Rebel: Sergeant Norman Holloway in Da 5 Bloods (2020)

In one of his final roles, Boseman plays “Stormin’” Norman, the revered, fallen squad leader of a group of Black soldiers in the Vietnam War. Appearing in flashbacks, his presence looms large over the entire film. He is the moral compass and the revolutionary heart of the group. Boseman portrays Norman not as a mythic figure, but as a grounded, intelligent leader whose influence transcends time. It’s a performance that radiates charisma and quiet power, proving he could make an indelible impact with limited screen time.

The Charismatic Athlete: Vontae Mack in Draft Day (2014)

Long before he was King of Wakanda, Boseman played Vontae Mack, a top football prospect in this fast-paced sports drama. Though a supporting character, he steals every scene he’s in. He infuses Vontae with an infectious confidence and an unwavering belief in his own worth. This role demonstrated his ability to command attention and convey ambition and star quality, offering an early glimpse of the leading man he was destined to become.

The Determined Lawyer: Thurgood Marshall in Marshall (2017)

Playing a legal giant like Thurgood Marshall is a tall order, but Boseman delivered a performance filled with swagger, intellect, and vulnerability. The film focuses on an early case in Marshall’s career, and Boseman captures the fire of a young lawyer fighting against a prejudiced system. He portrays Marshall not just as a historical icon, but as a brilliant and sometimes flawed man. His performance is a masterclass in conveying strength through conviction and sharp legal argument.

The Grieving Brother: Jacob King in Message from the King (2016)

In this gritty revenge thriller, Boseman takes on the role of Jacob King, a man from Cape Town who travels to Los Angeles to find his missing sister. This performance is a departure from his more heroic roles, showing a darker, more visceral side of his talent. He moves through the city’s underbelly with a quiet but relentless intensity. Boseman’s portrayal is largely internal, conveying a world of pain and determination through his eyes and physicality, proving he could be just as compelling in silence as he was delivering a powerful speech.

The Tragic Genius: Levee Green in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020)

In his final film role, Chadwick Boseman delivers a searing performance as Levee Green, an ambitious trumpeter with dreams of making it big. Boseman brings extraordinary emotional depth to Levee, masterfully channeling the character’s bravado, pain, and restless energy. His portrayal captures Levee’s vulnerability and simmering anger, revealing hidden scars beneath the charismatic surface. The intensity and rawness Boseman shows in this part are nothing short of breathtaking, particularly in the film’s gut-wrenching monologues and explosive confrontations. Through Levee, Boseman explores themes of hope, grief, and the lasting wounds of injustice, cementing his legacy as an actor who could illuminate even the most tragic complexity of the human soul.


A Lasting Legacy

Chadwick Boseman’s career was a testament to his dedication, versatility, and profound understanding of the human spirit. While Wakanda will forever be his kingdom, these roles highlight the immense range he possessed. He could be a leader, a fighter, a mentor, or a brother with equal conviction.

Five years on, his absence is still deeply felt, but his work continues to inspire. By exploring these performances, we not only appreciate his craft but also honor the full spectrum of his artistry. He was a gifted storyteller who gave his all to every character, leaving behind a legacy of excellence that will continue to move audiences for generations to come.

– Paige Boyd
"More Than A King:
Chadwick Boseman’s Five Most Underrated Roles"
Majicatl.com August 28, 2025

For previous Wild Reed posts about Chadwick and his work, written when he was still with us, see:
• The Important Cultural Moment That Is Black Panther
• Celebrating Black Panther – Then and Now
• “Avengers Assemble!”
• Jason Johnson on Stan Lee’s Revolutionary Legacy
• Another First for Black Panther
• “Something Special,” Indeed!
• Queer Black Panther

For The Wild Reed’s special series that remembers and celebrates Chadwick since his passing, see:
• Remembering Chadwick Boseman
• Honoring An Icon
• Chadwick Boseman’s Timeless Message to Young Voters: “You Can Turn Our Nation Around”
• Chadwick Boseman’s Final Film Role: “A Reed Instrument for Every Painful Emotion”
• Celebrating a Special Day
• Boseman on Wilson
• Chadwick Boseman and That “Heavenly Light”
• In This Time Marked By Grief
• A Bittersweet Accolade
• Chadwick Boseman Receives Posthumous NAACP Image Award
• “He Was Just Interested In the Work”
• Remembering Chadwick Boseman’s Life of Purpose
• The Political Legacy of Chadwick Boseman
• Remembering an Actor Who “Changed Everything”
• “The Perfect Send-Off”
• Heroes Are Never Really Gone
• Remembering Chadwick (2022)

Related Off-site Links:
Chadwick Boseman’s Words of Wisdom That Still Speak to Us Five Years After His Death – Shanelle Genai (The Root, August 27, 2025).
Howard University Celebrates Chadwick Boseman’s Legacy – WUSA9.com (August 27, 2025).
See the Most Iconic Moments of Chadwick Boseman’s Career 5 Years After His Death – Karen Mizoguchi and Liam Mathews (People, August 28, 2025).
Remembering Chadwick Boseman Five Years After His Death: New Documentary Planned – Jose Franco (Greenville Online, August 28, 2025).

Remembering Chadwick

It’s the birthday today of the late actor and playwright Chadwick Boseman, the third since his untimely passing from colon cancer on August 28, 2020. He would have been 46.

Also, since 2020, today, November 29, has been known as Chadwick Boseman Day. I’m not sure who gets to proclaim such things but, regardless, I’m not complaining. After all, as both an actor and a human being, Chadwick Boseman should be celebrated, for reasons that I highlight here and here.

So it’s a special day today; it’s both Chadwick’s birthday and Chadwick Boseman Day. To celebrate, I highlight below all the previous Wild Reed posts that celebrate and honor Chadwick. May you find them as meaningful and inspiring as the life of the man himself.

_______________________

For previous Wild Reed posts about Chadwick and his work, written when he was still with us, see:
• The Important Cultural Moment That Is Black Panther
• Celebrating Black Panther – Then and Now
• “Avengers Assemble!”
• Jason Johnson on Stan Lee’s Revolutionary Legacy
• Another First for Black Panther
• “Something Special,” Indeed!
• Queer Black Panther

For The Wild Reed’s special series that remembers and celebrates Chadwick since his passing, see:
• Remembering Chadwick Boseman
• Honoring An Icon
• Chadwick Boseman’s Timeless Message to Young Voters: “You Can Turn Our Nation Around”
• Chadwick Boseman’s Final Film Role: “A Reed Instrument for Every Painful Emotion”
• Celebrating a Special Day
• Boseman on Wilson
• Chadwick Boseman and That “Heavenly Light”
• In This Time Marked By Grief
• A Bittersweet Accolade
• Chadwick Boseman Receives Posthumous NAACP Image Award
• “He Was Just Interested In the Work”
• Remembering Chadwick Boseman’s Life of Purpose
• The Political Legacy of Chadwick Boseman
• Remembering an Actor Who “Changed Everything”
• “The Perfect Send-Off”
• Heroes Are Never Really Gone

Related Off-site Links:
Wells of Life Launches Well Campaign for Giving Tuesday, Honoring Chadwick Boseman – Dominique Fluker (Essence, November 29, 2022).
Black Panther 2 Writer Reveals If CGI’ing Chadwick Boseman Was an Option – Aeron Mer Eclarinal (The Direct, November 27, 2021).
Wakanda Forever Bids Farewell to T’Challa and Chadwick Boseman – Ababeel TV (November 12, 2022).
Review: Wakanda Forever Is a Beautiful Expression of Mourning and a Fantasy Epic – Princess Weekes (The Mary Sue, November 8, 2022).
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Is a Thunderous Ode to Love Conquering Death – Toussaint Egan (Polygon, November 8, 2022).
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Does the Near Impossible – David Sims (The Atlantic, November 8, 2022).

Heroes Are Never Really Gone . . .

. . . They live forever,
as do the ones they inspire
to carry on the fight.

– The Watcher
in Episode 6 of What If...?

Today is the second anniversary of the death of actor and playwright Chadwick Boseman. Chadwick died of colon cancer on August 28, 2020. He was 43.

Although known and celebrated for several acting roles, Chadwick is undoubtedly best known for playing T’Challa aka Black Panther in the Marvel films Captain America: Civil War (2016), Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019). Chadwick also voiced alternate versions of the character of Black Panther in the first season of the animated series What If...? (2021).

The sequel to Black Panther is set to be released on November 11, and is entitled Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The film focuses on the leaders of Wakanda, who in the wake of King T’Challa’s death, must fight to protect their nation from the invading forces of Namor, aka Sub-Mariner, ruler of Talocan, an ancient civilization of underwater dwelling people connected to the Mayans.

In marking the second anniversary of Chadwick’s death, I share the trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, a film that millions around the world are looking forward to seeing, even as we know it will be a very emotional and bittersweet experience without the presence of Chadwick Boseman.





There have been a number of videos made and posted on YouTube that analyze the above official trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. One of the best ones I've come across is the one below by New Rockstars. Just a heads-up: this video is of 20 minutes duration.





Following is how Wikipedia documents the development and making of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

On August 28, 2020, Chadwick Boseman died from colon cancer. [Black Panther director] Ryan Coogler stated that he had been unaware of Boseman’s illness, and had spent the last year “preparing, imagining and writing words for him to say [in the film] that we weren’t destined to see.”

[Producer] Kevin Feige and other executives at Marvel Studios were also unaware of Boseman’s illness. Boseman, who had become thinner from his illness in the weeks prior to his death, had been prepared to begin gaining the weight back in September 2020 ahead of filming the sequel in March 2021.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, industry observers felt Disney could recast the role, but that might generate a “fan outcry” and prompt comparisons between actors. Another suggestion was for Disney to shift their plans and have [T’Challa’s sister] Shuri take on the mantle of the Black Panther, which occurred in the comic books.

In mid-November of 2020, executive producer Victoria Alonso said a digital double of Boseman would not be created for the sequel, and added that Marvel was taking their time to work out what they were going to do next and how. Later in the month, Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, and Angela Bassett were confirmed to be reprising their roles for the sequel as Nakia, M’Baku, and Ramonda, respectively, while Tenoch Huerta was in talks for an antagonist role [that being of Namor].

In December 2020, Feige confirmed that the role of T’Challa would not be recast, and said the sequel would explore the world and characters of the first film as a way to honor the legacy that Boseman helped build. Feige reaffirmed in January 2021 that visual effects would not be used to include Boseman in the film, and said the primary focus of the sequel was always about further exploring the characters and “different subcultures” of Wakanda.

The first footage from the film was shown in a sizzle reel of Disney’s upcoming films during the studio’s presentation at CinemaCon in April 2022. On July 23, 2022, Feige, Coogler, and the cast promoted the film at the San Diego Comic-Con alongside live performances from singer Baaba Maal, tama player Massamba Diop, and the debut of the teaser trailer. The trailer features a cover of Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry” that transitions into Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright.”

Both Leah Simpson and Giovana Gelhoren of People called the footage “powerful,” while Sandra Gonzalez of CNN felt the teaser commemorated Boseman’s performance and wrote “amid the grief that permeates the preview, there’s hope, the birth of new life (literally) and a glimpse at the future, with a clawed sneak peek of a new suited hero.”

Writing for IndieWire, Christian Zilko also felt the teaser commemorated Boseman’s performance while also opining that this presented a “daunting" challenge for Marvel Studios for Black Panther’s future, due to Boseman being regarded as "one of the cornerstones of the MCU moving forward” and the studio not recasting his role.

Variety’s Carson Burton and J. Kim Murphy felt the teaser focused on who would “take on the mantle” of Black Panther, noting the presence of a mysterious figure at the end of the trailer.

The teaser trailer received 172 million views in its first 24 hours of release.

_____________________

I close with a special tribute by ABC News which examines and celebrates Chadwick Boseman’s career, from playing historical figures such as Jackie Robinson, James Brown and Thurgood Marshall, to T’Challa in Black Panther.

This heartfelt special was first aired on September 1, 2020, just days after Chadwick’s death. I share it below in two parts. The first part is 18 minutes in duration, while the second is 12 minutes.







Related Off-site Links:
Six Reasons Chadwick Boseman Will Forever Be Our King – Leslie D. Rose (Blavity, August 26, 2022).
Lupita Nyong’o Pays Tribute to Chadwick Boseman, Marking Two Years Since Beloved Actor Died – Amanda Taylor (People, August 28, 2022).
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever First Trailer Unveils Marvel’s Emotional Return to Wakanda and War With Namor – Carson Burton and J. Kim Murphy (Variety, July 23, 2022).
Who Will Be the New Black Panther in Wakanda Forever? – Chris E. Hayner (GameSpot.com, July 28, 2022).

UPDATES: Review: Wakanda Forever Is a Beautiful Expression of Mourning and a Fantasy Epic – Princess Weekes (The Mary Sue, November 8, 2022).
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Is a Thunderous Ode to Love Conquering Death – Toussaint Egan (Polygon, November 8, 2022).
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Does the Near Impossible – David Sims (The Atlantic, November 8, 2022).
Tenoch Huerta, Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Explains Why the Movie Got It Right – Arturo Conde and Candice Williams (NBC News, November 10, 2022).
Wakanda Forever Bids Farewell to T’Challa and Chadwick Boseman – Ababeel TV (November 12, 2022).
An Ode to Namor’s Ankle Wings – Brittany Knupper (The Mary Sue, November 13, 2022).
Why Is Marvel Afraid of Namor’s Bulge? – Joshua Rivera (Polygon, November 18, 2022).
Black Panther 2 Star Reacts to Fan Outcry Over “Removed Bulge” – Jordan Hirst (Q News, November 25, 2022).
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Unearthed Deep Colorism Within Latino Communities – Izzie Ramirez (Vox, November 21, 2022).
How Wakanda Forever’s Creators Decided on New Black Panther, and Major Mid-Credits Reveal – Kevin Polowy (Yahoo! Entertainment, November 21, 2022).

For previous Wild Reed posts about Chadwick and his work, written when he was still with us, see:
• The Important Cultural Moment That Is Black Panther
• Celebrating Black Panther – Then and Now
• “Avengers Assemble!”
• Jason Johnson on Stan Lee’s Revolutionary Legacy
• Another First for Black Panther
• “Something Special,” Indeed!
• Queer Black Panther

For The Wild Reed’s special series that remembers and celebrates Chadwick since his passing, see:
• Remembering Chadwick Boseman
• Honoring An Icon
• Chadwick Boseman’s Timeless Message to Young Voters: “You Can Turn Our Nation Around”
• Chadwick Boseman’s Final Film Role: “A Reed Instrument for Every Painful Emotion”
• Celebrating a Special Day
• Boseman on Wilson
• Chadwick Boseman and That “Heavenly Light”
• In This Time Marked By Grief
• A Bittersweet Accolade
• Chadwick Boseman Receives Posthumous NAACP Image Award
• “He Was Just Interested In the Work”
• Remembering Chadwick Boseman’s Life of Purpose
• The Political Legacy of Chadwick Boseman
• Remembering an Actor Who “Changed Everything”
• “The Perfect Send-Off”

See also:
A Special Day

A Special Day

It’s the birthday today of the late actor and playwright Chadwick Boseman, the second since his untimely passing from colon cancer on August 28, 2020. He would have been 45.

Also, since 2020, today, November 29, has been known as Chadwick Boseman Day. I’m not sure who gets to proclaim such things but, regardless, I’m not complaining. After all, as both an actor and a human being, Chadwick Boseman should be celebrated, for reasons that I highlight here and here.

So it’s a special day today; it’s both Chadwick’s birthday and Chadwick Boseman Day. To celebrate, I highlight below all the previous Wild Reed posts that celebrate and honor Chadwick. May you find them as meaningful and inspiring as the life of the man himself.

_______________________

For previous Wild Reed posts about Chadwick and his work, written when he was still with us, see:
• The Important Cultural Moment That Is Black Panther
• Celebrating Black Panther – Then and Now
• “Avengers Assemble!”
• Jason Johnson on Stan Lee’s Revolutionary Legacy
• Another First for Black Panther
• “Something Special,” Indeed!
• Queer Black Panther

For The Wild Reed’s special series that remembers and celebrates Chadwick since his passing, see:
• Remembering Chadwick Boseman
• Honoring An Icon
• Chadwick Boseman’s Timeless Message to Young Voters: “You Can Turn Our Nation Around”
• Chadwick Boseman’s Final Film Role: “A Reed Instrument for Every Painful Emotion”
• Celebrating a Special Day
• Boseman on Wilson
• Chadwick Boseman and That “Heavenly Light”
• In This Time Marked By Grief
• A Bittersweet Accolade
• Chadwick Boseman Receives Posthumous NAACP Image Award
• “He Was Just Interested In the Work”
• Remembering Chadwick Boseman’s Life of Purpose
• The Political Legacy of Chadwick Boseman
• Remembering an Actor Who “Changed Everything”
• “The Perfect Send-Off”

Related Off-site Links:
Remembering Chadwick Boseman on His Birthday – Good Morning America (November 29, 2021).
Viola Davis and Lupita Nyong’o Among Those Celebrating the Late Chadwick Boseman With Birthday Tributes – Ny Magee (The Grio, November 29, 2021).
Chadwick Boseman Honored by Celeb Friends on His Birthday – Lisa Respers France (CNN, November 30, 2021).

“The Perfect Send-Off”

Today is the first anniversary of the death of actor Chadwick Boseman.

I’ve been honoring Chadwick at The Wild Reed on the 28th day of every month since his passing last year on August 28. Chadwick died of colon cancer, and although he had been living with the disease since 2016, he never spoke of it publicly.

Today the honoring continues with my sharing of a heartfelt piece by The Gamer’s Stacey Henley. It focuses on Marvel’s animated Disney Plus series What If...?, in which Chadwick posthumously reprises his role as T’Challa (aka Black Panther).

Henley’s article is reprinted in its entirety below with added images and links.

___________________

What If . . . ? Is the Perfect
Send-Off for Chadwick Boseman

By Stacey Henley
The Gamer
August 24, 2021

Hearing Chadwick Boseman in What If...? was always going to be bittersweet. Not only was it Boseman’s last turn as the character of T’Challa/Black Panther but, as an animated show, it also led with his voice, something Boseman was particularly central to forming. Black Panther was originally going to have an American accent, but Boseman stepped in and suggested our African hero who was born and raised in Africa should probably sound African. Boseman himself then worked with a dialect coach to create the Wakandan accent, which all the other actors then had to learn. Black Panther is a crucial character in the Marvel Comics Universe (MCU) and is important to so many people. From day one, Boseman understood this.

As the Infinity Saga closed, it was clear that Boseman was being positioned as the MCU’s new lead. He is the first character to emerge from the portals in Avengers: Endgame [above] and he is the character who picks up the Infinity Gauntlet [left] during the literal passing of the torch. Black Panther, Spider-Man, and the female heroes are intentionally pushed into the spotlight in the battle against Thanos. These are the heroes of the future. Thanks to Boseman’s untimely passing, this will no longer come to fruition, and with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever avoiding a CGI Boseman out of respect, What If...? will be his last turn in the role of T’Challa. That’s especially fitting, with the question “what if” being destined to hang over the MCU forever when it comes to Boseman.

Of course, at the time at Marvel nobody knew this. Boseman kept his cancer diagnosis a secret from the public and most of his colleagues, so What If...? was never written as a last hurrah. That’s probably for the best though; T’Challa as Star-Lord is such a hopeful tale and a fitting goodbye to Boseman that it had to happen organically. Any attempt to write a real goodbye would have been far too schmaltzy, and would have been robbed of the humour, wit, and spikiness that What If...? has.

We’re two episodes in now, and we’ve had one miss and one hit. Peggy as Captain Carter sounds great on paper, but it played out far too similarly to Steve Carter’s own time as Captain America in the war and shoehorned in a relationship that no longer made sense. It just felt like Captain America: The First Avenger with Carter in the lead role. T’Challa as Star-Lord [aka Peter Quill] does not suffer in this way. It is not just Guardians of the Galaxy with Black Panther. The entire dynamic of the crew is flipped. We see a post-Mad Titan phase Thanos, a more sophisticated, femme fatale interpretation of Nebula, a new Drax, a softer Yondu, and the same old Kraglin and Taserface.

It doesn’t just reimagine T’Challa as Star-Lord. T’Challa is, by all accounts, a less selfish person than Peter Quill. Sure, some of that is down to upbringing – Quill was raised by a single, sickly mother in Nowheresville, Missouri, while T’Challa is royalty – but some of it is just nature. Quill is loyal and protective, but he’s also a bit of a douchebag. T’Challa as Star-Lord is more of a Robin Hood character - he’s able to defeat Thanos with words and is much more capable when it comes to rallying people to his cause. It’s not just replacing a character in the story, it’s rewriting the story for the character.

It’s not a riff on Guardians at all. It’s more What If...? Ocean’s Eleven Was Robin Hood, Oh And Also Black Panther Is Star-Lord And Friends With Thanos. It’s exactly what What If...? should be, and it even throws the spotlight on Howard the Duck. In showing a new side to Nebula, it could be a key part of her post-Endgame faceturn development, but for now, all eyes are on T’Challa.

We are set to get more T’Challa What If...? stories before the first season wraps up, and that too is bittersweet. The most recent episode felt like the perfect conclusion, and it feels like tempting fate to ask for more. Then again, Boseman is one of the MCU’s most fascinating performers, a rare straight man hero, letting Shuri riff off him and giving Killmonger the breathing space to become one of the best villains superhero cinema has ever seen. I want more of Boseman, but I also want him to have a fitting ending. What If...? gave him that, and I can only hope the series keeps it up.

– Stacey Henley
The Gamer
August 18, 2021

Related Off-site Links:
T'Challa’s What If...? Episode Proves He Was the Best Hero the MCU Could Have – Alexis Medd (Mashable, August 19, 2021).
What If...? Takes Black Panther to Space in a Twist on the Comics – Jude Jones (Polygon, August 18, 2021).
Marvel’s What If...? – Inside That Beautiful Chadwick Boseman Episode – Don Kaye (Den of Geek, August 18, 2021).
Chadwick Boseman Relished Playing a More Cheerful T’Challa in What If...? – Susana Polo (Polygon, August 18, 2021).
Marvel’s What If...?: The Huge MCU Ramifications of Episode 2’s Ravagers Lineup – Gavin Jasper (Den of Geek, August 18, 2021).
Marvel’s What If...?: Different Versions of T’Challa Will Appear in Four Episodes – Wesley LeBlanc (IGN, August 3, 2021).
Daughter of James Brown Pays Tribute to Chadwick Boseman, One Year After His Death – Chris Bucktin (Mirror, August 27, 2021).
Remembering Chadwick Boseman’s Inspiring Life and Legacy on One-Year Anniversary of Death – Antoinette Bueno‍ (Entertainment, August 28, 2021).
Co-star and Friends Remember Chadwick Boseman, One Year Later: “He Was An Angel on This Planet” – Elise Brisco (USA Today, August 28, 2021).
How Chadwick Boseman’s Private Love Story Added Another Layer to His Legacy – Natalie Finn (E-Online, August 28, 2021).

UPDATES: What If: 5 Ways T’Challa Is A Better Star Lord – Jasmine Venegas (CBR.com, September 7, 2021).
What If? Zombie Episode: Chadwick Boseman’s Iconic Black Panther Quote Touches Fans’ Hearts – Jenna Anderson (ComicBook.com, September 8, 2021).
Black Panther’s Angela Bassett Opens Up About Filming Sequel Without Chadwick Boseman – Michele Theil (Digital Spy, September 9, 2021).
Rumor Says Black Panther 2 Will Introduce a New Queer Superhero – Mey Rude (Out, September 9, 2021).

For The Wild Reed’s series that remembers and celebrates Chadwick Boseman, see:
• Remembering Chadwick Boseman
• Honoring An Icon
• Chadwick Boseman’s Timeless Message to Young Voters: “You Can Turn Our Nation Around”
• Chadwick Boseman’s Final Film Role: “A Reed Instrument for Every Painful Emotion”
• Celebrating a Special Day
• Boseman on Wilson
• Chadwick Boseman and That “Heavenly Light”
• In This Time of Grief
• A Bittersweet Accolade
• Chadwick Boseman Receives Posthumous NAACP Image Award
• “He Was Just Interested In the Work”
• Remembering Chadwick Boseman’s Life of Purpose
• The Political Legacy of Chadwick Boseman
• Remembering an Actor Who “Changed Everything”

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• The Important Cultural Moment That Is Black Panther
• Celebrating Black Panther – Then and Now
• “Avengers Assemble!”
• Jason Johnson on Stan Lee’s Revolutionary Legacy
• Another First for Black Panther
• “Something Special,” Indeed!
• Queer Black Panther

Remembering an Actor Who “Changed Everything”

I’ve been honoring actor Chadwick Boseman at The Wild Reed on the 28th day of every month since his death last year on August 28. Chadwick died of colon cancer, and although he had been living with the disease since 2016, he never spoke of it publicly.

Today, eleven months to the day since his passing, the honoring continues with my sharing of an appreciation written by Jake Coyle, film writer with The Associated Press. Coyle’s insightful tribute was first published August 29, 2020. It is reprinted in its entirety below with added images and links.


___________________

Chadwick Boseman
An Appreciation for an Actor
Who Changed Everything

By Jake Coyle
The Associated Press
August 29, 2020

The image that keeps replaying in my head since the death of Chadwick Boseman is from early 2018. It was just days before Black Panther would open in theaters and the exhilaration aroused by this long-in-coming cultural event was everywhere around Boseman. Flocked by fans, he repeatedly paused for pictures until he was handed a months-old Black child whom he gently held, beaming.

Boseman’s family said that the actor, who died Friday [August 28, 2020] at the age of 43, was first diagnosed with colon cancer in 2016. Did he know when he held that baby that he might not live long enough to see a child of his own raised? Did he know that in playing Jackie Robinson, James Brown, Thurgood Marshall and T’Challa – in so gracefully filling the screen with the dignity of Black lives – that he was helping to cradle another generation?

In a tragically brief but historically sweeping life as an actor, Boseman played men of public life and private pain. Before [his death], we didn’t know he, too, was bearing such a burden.

That has only magnified his accomplishment, bringing him closer to the great figures whose shoes he wore on film. He played men who advanced a people’s progress, a trail he helped blaze himself. He played icons, and died one, too.

“There’s a lot to learn from Jackie Robinson. There’s a lot to learn from James Brown. There’s a lot to learn from Thurgood Marshall,” Boseman said that day two and a half years ago. “I would like to say that some of those qualities have infused themselves into me at this point.”

Boseman started out as a playwright. He was raised in the manufacturing town of Anderson, South Carolina, the youngest of three boys. As a junior in high school, he wrote and staged a play inspired by the shooting death of a basketball teammate. Before he was a Hollywood star, he penned numerous hip-hop-infused plays: “Hieroglyphic Graffiti,” “Rhyme Deferred,” “Deep Azure” — and directed others. In New York, he performed with the National Shakespeare Company.

He compared his alma mater, Howard University, to his own personal Wakanda.

“If you have a blanketed idea of what it means to be of African descent and you go to Howard University, you’re meeting people from all over the diaspora – from the Caribbean, any country in Africa, in Europe,” Boseman said. “So you’re seeing people from all walks of life that look like you but they sound different.”

That early development of an expansive, historical understanding of African American identity surely fed the grace and humility of Boseman’s most famous roles. It wasn’t until he was in his mid-30s, after a handful of brief television appearances, that he landed his first leading role as Robinson in 42. He was, from the start, a self-evident movie star with a rare, effortless charisma. Rachel Robinson, the Hall of Famer’s widow, said it was like seeing her husband again.

In the hours of shock since the news of Boseman’s death, the story of how Denzel Washington paid for Boseman and other Howard students to attend a summer theater program at the University of Oxford has been much retold. It’s especially fitting because it, as if by fate, links Boseman with Washington. Like his long-ago benefactor, Boseman exuded strength and self-possession. When he played Robinson and Brown (in Get on Up) and Marshall (in Marshall), Boseman’s power wasn’t asked for or worked up to. It was innate. It was there already. “When I hit the stage, people better be ready,” he says in Get on Up. “Especially the white folk.”

Many would have, after playing Robinson and Brown, turned a blind eye to biopics. But by playing a young version of the Supreme Court justice in Marshall (which he co-produced) Boseman confirmed the ongoing nature of his project, one that would reach a staggering climax in Black Panther. Boseman first made his debut as King T’Challa in Captain America: Civil War in 2016, the same year he was diagnosed with colon cancer.

After playing a string of pioneers, Boseman led the Black Panther revolution.

“We all know what it’s like to be told that there is not a place for you to be featured – yet you are young, gifted and black,” Boseman said, accepting the film’s Screen Actors Guild Award for best ensemble. “We know what it’s like to be told there’s not a screen for you to be featured on, a stage for you to be featured on.”

It’s mind-boggling what Boseman was able to accomplish, facing down an industry’s historical prejudice while suffering through cancer treatments. But it’s equally hard to measure what lay in front of him. In less than a decade, Boseman changed the movies. His more recent films suggest the next decade was going to be at least as interesting. In [2019]’s 21 Bridges, a film he also produced, Boseman plays an NYPD detective whose cop-killer case uncovers the department’s own persistent corruption. Boseman’s very presence reorients the story.

During the filming of Black Panther, Boseman said he was communicating with two boys who had terminal cancer. They were hoping to make it long enough to see the film. “I realized they anticipated something great,” Boseman said in a SiriusXM interview. The kids, Boseman said through tears, didn’t make it. But in his unjustly short career, Boseman held in his hands a world, illuminated on screen like never before.

– Jake Coyle
The Associated Press
August 29, 2020

NEXT: “The Perfect Send-Off”

Related Off-site Links:
Chadwick Boseman Appreciation: A Star Who Made Nobility Human – Michael Phillips (Chicago Tribune, August 29, 2020).
Cancer Survivor Kevin Boseman Performs Dance Tribute to His Late Brother Chadwick Boseman – Karu F. Daniels (New York Daily News, June 20, 2021).
Chadwick Boseman's Parents Speak Exclusively to WYFF News 4 in First Interview Since His Passing – Allen Devlin (WYFF 4 News, June 18, 2021).
Howard University Names Newly Re-Established College of Fine Arts for Chadwick Boseman – Angelique Jackson (Variety, May 26, 2021).
Black Panther Fans “Nervous” About Sequel Without Chadwick Boseman – Showbiz Cheat Sheet (May 25, 2021).
Marvel Reveals Black Panther Sequel’s Title and Release Date in Nostalgic Mega-Trailer – Jenna Ryu (USA Today, May 3, 2021).
Everything We Know About Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – M. Arbeiter (Nerdist, July 21, 2021).
Chadwick Boseman’s Final Performance As T’Challa Featured In Marvel’s What If? Trailer – Trey Mangun (Shadow and Act, July 8, 2021).

For The Wild Reed’s series that remembers and celebrates Chadwick Boseman, see:
• Remembering Chadwick Boseman
• Honoring An Icon
• Chadwick Boseman’s Timeless Message to Young Voters: “You Can Turn Our Nation Around”
• Chadwick Boseman’s Final Film Role: “A Reed Instrument for Every Painful Emotion”
• Celebrating a Special Day
• Boseman on Wilson
• Chadwick Boseman and That “Heavenly Light”
• In This Time of Grief
• A Bittersweet Accolade
• Chadwick Boseman Receives Posthumous NAACP Image Award
• “He Was Just Interested In the Work”
• Remembering Chadwick Boseman’s Life of Purpose
• The Political Legacy of Chadwick Boseman

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• The Important Cultural Moment That Is Black Panther
• Celebrating Black Panther – Then and Now
• “Avengers Assemble!”
• Jason Johnson on Stan Lee’s Revolutionary Legacy
• Another First for Black Panther
• “Something Special,” Indeed!
• Queer Black Panther

The Political Legacy of Chadwick Boseman

I’ve been honoring actor Chadwick Boseman at The Wild Reed on the 28th day of every month since his death last year on August 28. Chadwick died of colon cancer, and although he had been living with the disease since 2016, he never spoke of it publicly.

Today, ten months to the day since his passing, the honoring continues with my sharing of an appreciation written by Monica Moorehead and first published in Workers World a week after Chadwick’s passing. Moorehead’s appreciation recognizes and honors the Chad’s political activism and legacy.

________________________

Like so many millions of other movie-going fans, I was shocked and saddened with the news of the untimely death of super-talented African American actor, Chadwick Boseman, who died at the young age of 43 on August 28.

His family let it be known that he had finally succumbed to stage IV colon cancer, following a four-year battle with the disease that began in 2016. A few days after his death, Twitter owners announced that Boseman’s death had been the most retweeted ever at six million to date.

The worldwide outpouring of respect, affection and sadness had much to do with Boseman’s powerful movie portrayal of T’Challa, the African king of the mystical land of Wakanda, that originated in the Marvel comic series, “Black Panther.”

When the blockbuster movie Black Panther debuted in 2018, it broke all kinds of box-office records, grossing $1.3 billion worldwide. It became the first movie in Hollywood history with a nearly all-Black cast and a Black director, Ryan Coogler, to achieve this feat. Boseman was praised for portraying T’Challa with such grace, dignity and power. No one knew while filming Black Panther in 2017 that Boseman had been diagnosed with cancer the year before.

Boseman had put his indelible stamp on much smaller budget films before Black Panther. Those films included 42 in 2013, playing Jackie Robinson, the Brooklyn Dodger who broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball in 1947; Get On Up in 2014, playing legendary soul singer James Brown; and in Marshall in 2017, playing the first Black U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall, in his early days as a lawyer

Sports leagues and players in leagues including Major League Baseball, the National Football League and the National Basketball Association honored Boseman on social media.


A strong supporter of Black Lives Matter

Boseman had publicly admired the heroic anti-war stance taken by the late Muhammad Ali during the late 1960s.

In a recent Instagram post, Boseman expressed solidarity with Black Lives Matter stating, “From this country’s founding history; its economic base, its social standard, its penal system, its protection of property . . . ⁣White Supremacy and Racial Prejudice are its Pre-existing Conditions.⁣ Change is here. #BlackLivesMatter.”

Even while terminally ill, Boseman along with 300 other prominent Black entertainers and celebrities signed a public letter demanding that the Hollywood industry divest in various ways from the police. In part the letter reads:

“Historically and currently, Hollywood encourages the epidemic of police violence and culture of anti-Blackness. The way that Hollywood and mainstream media have contributed to the criminalization of Black people, the misrepresentation of the legal system, and the glorification of police corruption and violence has had dire consequences on Black lives. We demand better. Prove that Black Lives Matter to Hollywood by taking bold moves to affirm, defend and invest in Black lives. Follow the examples of the Minneapolis School District, Denver Public Schools, the University of Minnesota and many other institutions in divesting from the policing system and investing in the Black community.”

Boseman brings to mind a comparison to the great actor, Sidney Poitier, who during his career, which began in the late 1940s, consciously took roles that were devoid of negative Hollywood stereotypes of Black people. This has been a constant characteristic from Boseman’s early days as an actor, when he was fired from the soap opera, All My Children, for complaining how his character was negatively written.

The pain of Boseman dying so soon will linger for a long time, but the political legacy he left behind, with his genuine acting of such integrity, will inspire new generations of Black filmmakers and film buffs of all nationalities.

– Monica Moorehead
“Chadwick Boseman: An Appreciation”
Workers World
September 7, 2020

NEXT: Remembering an Actor Who “Changed Everything”


Related Off-site Links:
Cancer Survivor Kevin Boseman Performs Dance Tribute to His Late Brother Chadwick Boseman – Karu F. Daniels (New York Daily News, June 20, 2021).
Chadwick Boseman's Parents Speak Exclusively to WYFF News 4 in First Interview Since His Passing – Allen Devlin (WYFF 4 News, June 18, 2021).
Howard University Rolling Out Chadwick Boseman-Inspired Master Class – TMZ (May 31, 2021).
Howard University Names Newly Re-Established College of Fine Arts for Chadwick Boseman – Angelique Jackson (Variety, May 26, 2021).
Black Panther Fans “Nervous” About Sequel Without Chadwick Boseman – Showbiz Cheat Sheet (May 25, 2021).
MTV Awards 2021: Chadwick Boseman Posthumously Wins Best Performance in a Movie; Receives Standing Ovation – Pamela Avila, Cydney Henderson, Anika Reed (USA Today, May 17, 2021).
Black Panther II “So Respectful” of Chadwick Boseman Loss, Lupita Nyong’o Says – Akhil Arora (Gadgets 360, May 3, 2021).
Marvel Reveals Black Panther Sequel's Title and Release Date in Nostalgic Mega-Trailer – Jenna Ryu (USA Today, May 3, 2021).

For The Wild Reed’s series that remembers and celebrates Chadwick Boseman, see:
• Remembering Chadwick Boseman
• Honoring An Icon
• Chadwick Boseman’s Timeless Message to Young Voters: “You Can Turn Our Nation Around”
• Chadwick Boseman’s Final Film Role: “A Reed Instrument for Every Painful Emotion”
• Celebrating a Special Day
• Boseman on Wilson
• Chadwick Boseman and That “Heavenly Light”
• In This Time of Grief
• A Bittersweet Accolade
• Chadwick Boseman Receives Posthumous NAACP Image Award
• “He Was Just Interested In the Work”
• Remembering Chadwick Boseman’s Life of Purpose

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• The Important Cultural Moment That Is Black Panther
• Celebrating Black Panther – Then and Now
• “Avengers Assemble!”
• Jason Johnson on Stan Lee’s Revolutionary Legacy
• Another First for Black Panther
• “Something Special,” Indeed!
• Queer Black Panther