Chadwick Boseman dies, 43

Bella Lee, Staff writer

On Aug. 28, the world was shocked to learn that Chadwick Boseman had passed away at the age of 43 after a 4-year battle with colon cancer.

Boseman, an actor famous for roles in “Black Panther,” and “42,” was well-known for keeping his personal life private, so the news that he had been battling colon cancer for 4 years left family, friends and fans reeling. Boseman’s breakout role was as the barrier-breaking baseball player Jackie Robinson in “42,” which was released in 2013. Other historical figures he played include singer-songwriter James Brown in “Get on Up” (2014) and future Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall in “Marshall” (2017).

However, he was most famous to the world for originating the role of King T’Challa, also known as Black Panther, in “Captain America: Civil War” in 2016. He reprised the role in “Black Panther” (2018), “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) and “Avengers: Endgame” (2019).

Unknown to his fans, Boseman filmed these four Marvel movies, “Marshall,” “21 Bridges” (2019) and “5 Bloods” (2020) between surgeries and chemotherapy treatments for his colon cancer, which was originally diagnosed as Stage 3 but then progressed to Stage 4 towards the end of his life.

As the news of Boseman’s death spread across the country and the world, tributes poured in from friends and fans alike. On social media platforms such as Twitter, “Black Panther” fans shared pictures of their children donning Black Panther costumes or holding memorials for the character using action figures.

Sports teams, many still mourning basketball great Kobe Bryant’s death in January, held moments of silence for the beloved actor.

All over Twitter and Instagram, tributes from Boseman’s co-stars and others that looked up to him came from all corners. “Heartbroken. My friend and fellow Bison Chadwick Boseman was brilliant, kind, learned, and humble,” Senator Kamala Harris tweeted, referring to their shared alma mater of Howard University.

Angela Bassett, who played the mother of King T’Challa in “Black Panther,” said “This young man’s dedication was awe-inspiring, his smile contagious, his talent unreal.” Don Cheadle, who played War Machine in the “Avengers” franchise, tweeted “I will miss you, birthday brother. You were always love and light to me.” These were just a handful of tributes that came from heartbroken celebrities and fans alike.

Additional messages came from Barack and Michelle Obama, Joe Biden, other co-stars in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Martin Luther King Jr.’s children and so many more.

Even while fighting a raging battle against colon cancer, Boseman never stopped making the people around him smile.

No one knew that he was fighting cancer while visiting children with cancer in hospitals across the country.

No one knew that he was fighting cancer while filming not one, not two, but seven films over the course of four years.

During an interview in 2017, the interviewer mentioned how Boseman filmed three projects in a short period of time, to which Boseman responded, “You have no idea. One day I’ll live to tell the story.”

He may not have lived to tell his story, but he made an impact on people around the world for generations to come.

Wakanda Forever.