‘Black Panther’ star Boseman dies after 4-year battle with cancer

Chadwick Boseman, the star of the groundbreaking superhero movie “Black Panther,” has died after a four-year private battle with colon cancer, his publicist told AFP on Friday.

Boseman, 43, never spoke publicly of his condition and continued to work on major Hollywood movies during and between “countless” operations and chemotherapy, his family said in a statement.

“It was the honor of his career bringing King T’Challa to life in Black Panther,” they said.

“A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all,” the statement added. He died at home “with his wife and family by his side,” he said.

Boseman played the first black superhero to get his own standalone film in the Marvel franchise that broke records with 2018’s “Black Panther.”

The film, set in the fictional African kingdom of Wakanda, was adored by critics and audiences, becoming the first comic book film to be nominated for best picture at the Oscars and grossing more than $ 1 billion worldwide. .

Early in his career, Boseman played black icons Jackie Robinson in “42” (Friday, ironically, was Jackie Robinson Day in the US) and James Brown in “Get on Up.”

The news of Boseman’s death shocked Hollywood and the world.

“The true power of @chadwickboseman was greater than anything we saw on the screen,” wrote Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.

“From Black Panther to Jackie Robinson, he inspired generations and showed them that they can be anything they want, even superheroes.”

Biden’s running mate Kamala Harris said she was “heartbroken” and referred to Howard University in Washington, nicknamed Bison, where they both studied.

“My friend and partner Bison Chadwick Boseman was brilliant, kind, knowledgeable and humble,” he tweeted.

“He left too early, but his life made a difference. Sending my sincere condolences to his family.

Boseman’s last post on Twitter, on August 12, was to congratulate Harris the day after she was announced as the Democratic vice presidential candidate in the 2020 election.

Chris Evans, who played Captain America on the Marvel series, tweeted: “Chadwick was special. A true original. He was a deeply engaged and constantly curious artist. He had a lot of incredible work to create. I am infinitely grateful for our friendship. “

Another of Boseman’s Marvel co-stars, Mark Ruffalo, tweeted: “Brother, you were one of the greats of all time and your greatness was just beginning. Lord i love you “

Both Evans and Ruffalo signed their tweets: “Rest in power, King.” The NAACP, America’s leading civil rights organization, praised Boseman for “showing us how to conquer adversity with grace” and “walk like a king, without losing the common touch.”

“#RestInPower #BlackPantherForever,” he concluded his tweet.

‘Hearts are broken’

Boseman had recently appeared in Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods” in the Vietnam War, and was scheduled to appear in a “Black Panther” sequel due out in 2022.

“Our hearts are broken and our thoughts go out to the Chadwick Boseman family. Your legacy will live forever. Rest in peace, ”wrote the official Marvel Twitter account.

His character T’Challa, king and protector of Wakanda’s advanced technology, was the first black superhero in mainstream American comics, having appeared in

“The Fantastic Four” in 1966. The Marvel film was celebrated as an important cultural moment for its mainly black cast and for subverting stereotypes by representing a prosperous African country that welcomes refugees and extends its culture and technology to the poorest nations.

Boseman shrugged at the skeptics who tried to convince him not to give the superhero an African accent.

“There was a period of time where people would ask me whether or not the audience could sit down and watch a movie with a main character who spoke with that accent,” he said at the time.

“I became adamant about the fact that it is not true,” he added.

Born in South Carolina, the son of a nurse and an upholstery entrepreneur, Boseman has roots in the African state of Sierra Leone.

Before Marvel, he was best known for his acclaimed portrayal of the legendary Robinson in Brian Helgeland’s “42” (2013), which had the highest-grossing debut for a baseball movie in Hollywood history.

He also received high praise for his portrayal of soul singer Brown in “Get on Up” (2014), earning him a listing in TIME Magazine’s Top 10 Performances of 2014.