Boseman graduated fromT. L. Hanna High School in 1995, where he played on the basketball team.[20][21] In his junior year, he wrote his first play,Crossroads, and staged it at the school after a classmate was shot and killed.[14] He competed in Speech and Debate in theNational Speech and Debate Association at T. L. Hanna. He placed eighth inOriginal Oratory at the 1995 National Tournament.[22] He was recruited to play basketball at college but chose the arts instead,[23] attending college atHoward University inWashington, D.C., and graduating in 2000 with aBachelor of Fine Arts indirecting.[24] While at Howard, he worked in an African American–oriented bookstore near the university, which friendVanessa German said was important and inspirational to him;[15] he drew on his experience there for his playHieroglyphic Graffiti.[25]
His teachers at Howard includedAl Freeman Jr. andPhylicia Rashad, who became a mentor.[25][14] Rashad helped raise funds, notably from her friend and prominent actorDenzel Washington,[7] so that Boseman and other classmates could attend the Oxford Summer Program of theBritish American Drama Academy atBalliol College, Oxford, in England, to which they had been accepted.[14][26] Boseman wanted to write and direct, and initially began studying acting to learn how to relate to actors.[27] He attended the program in 1998, and he developed an appreciation for the playwriting ofWilliam Shakespeare;[15] additionally, he studied the works of variousdramatists, includingSamuel Beckett andHarold Pinter.[25] He also traveled to Africa for the first time while at college, working inGhana with his professor Mike Malone "to preserve and celebrate rituals with performances on aproscenium stage"; he said it was "one of the most significant learning experiences of [his] life".[28] After he returned to the U.S., he took additional course work in film studies, graduating from New York City'sDigital Film Academy.[29][30]
2000–2007: Theater,Deep Azure, and early television
He rose to prominence as a playwright and stage actor in 2002, performing in multiple productions and winning anAUDELCO award in 2002 for his part inRon Milner'sUrban Transitions.[23] As a member of the National Shakespeare Company of New York, he playedRomeo inRomeo and Juliet andMalcolm inMacbeth.[34] He directed and wrote plays[35][36] as part of theHip-hop theater movement; his works includedRhyme Deferred (co-written with Howard classmateKamilah Forbes), in which he also performed, andHieroglyphic Graffiti.[23][37][38][39]Rhyme Deferred was commissioned for a national tour, as well as featuring inThe Fire This Time anthology of works, whileHieroglyphic Graffiti was produced at a variety of locations, including theNational Black Theatre Festival in 2001.[23] Combining modern African-American culture and Egyptian deities, it is set in Washington, D.C., and was picked up by the New York Hip-Hop Theatre Festival andTennessee State University'ssummer stock theatre program in 2002.[40] It was also theKuntu Repertory Theatre's 2002–03 season launch production. At the 2002 Hip-Hop Theatre Festival, Boseman also gave a one-man show called "Red Clay and Carved Concrete".[34]
In 2003, Boseman was cast in his first television role, an episode ofThird Watch,[41] and began playingReggie Montgomery in the daytime soap operaAll My Children.[42] He was fired fromAll My Children after voicing concerns to producers about racist stereotypes in the script; the role was subsequently re-cast, with Boseman's futureBlack Panther co-starMichael B. Jordan taking the part.[43][44] Boseman had wanted to work around the stereotypes of the character, feeling that being in a soap opera would give him more room for improvisation as the writers often do not initially plan a full story;[45] his (then-future) agent said that when Boseman was given the second script and learned that his character's parents were a drug addict and an absent father, Boseman confronted the creators.[44] He reflected on the experience in his 2018 commencement address to Howard University, saying that it "seemed to be wrapped up in assumptions about us as black folks [and he] would have to make something out of nothing."[45] His other early television work included episodes of the seriesLaw & Order,Cold Case,CSI: NY, andER.[6]
Boseman's best-known play,Deep Azure, was commissioned in 2004 by the Congo Square Theatre Company inChicago. It was nominated for a 2006Jeff Award for Best New Work.[37][23] Boseman said at the time thatDeep Azure was "a fusion and progression of [his] previous plays", which he did not feel fit wholly in the Hip Hop theater genre.[23] The play – aboutpolice brutality, a daring subject in 2004, and largely delivered in rhyme – was workshopped at theApollo Theater in New York.[46][47] Drama criticChris Jones in theChicago Tribune highly praised the work.[46] In 2008, Boseman turnedDeep Azure into a screenplay. Michael Greene, who would become his agent, picked it up and contacted Boseman whenTessa Thompson andOmari Hardwick expressed an interest in playing the lead roles, prompting Boseman's move toLos Angeles.[44] He also directed, wrote, and produced the short filmBlood Over a Broken Pawn in 2007, which was honored at the 2008Hollywood Black Film Festival.[37][48]
In 2008, Boseman moved to Los Angeles to pursue his film and acting career.[26] He was cast in a recurring role on the television seriesLincoln Heights as Nathaniel Ray Taylor, an army veteran with PTSD who was later revealed to be the son of the main character before re-enlisting.[49] He also appeared in his first feature film in 2008,The Express: The Ernie Davis Story, asrunning backFloyd Little.[50] He landed his first regular role in the 2010 television seriesPersons Unknown as theMarine Graham McNair.[51] The show received mediocre reviews that felt the characters were all archetypes with little development.[52][53] In July 2013, Boseman's second short film as director,Heaven, premiered at theHollyShorts Film Festival.[54]
Boseman's breakthrough role came in 2013 with the film42, in which he portrayed the lead role of baseball legendJackie Robinson.[50][55] Boseman had been directing anoff-Broadway play in theEast Village when he auditioned for the role,[56] and was considering giving up acting to pursue directing full-time.[57] About twenty-five other actors had been seriously considered for the role, but directorBrian Helgeland liked Boseman's bravery in choosing to read the most difficult scene, in which Robinson goes down a stadium tunnel and breaks a bat in anger, and cast him after he had auditioned twice.[58][24][59] Part of the audition process involved playing baseball; Boseman had been involved withLittle League as a child but was primarily a basketball player growing up, saying that in this part the casting directors likely noticed his athleticism rather than specifically baseball skills.[56] Robinson's widow,Rachel Robinson, commented that Boseman's performance was like seeing her husband again.[38] To replicate Robinson's mannerisms, Boseman trained for five months with professional baseball coaches who "would tape [his] practices every few weeks, and they would basically split-screen [his technique] with [Robinson's]" to allow him to compare.[56] After having portrayed football player Little inThe Express, Boseman was encouraged by stunt coordinatorAllan Graf to approach running bases in the same way, as Robinson had also been a college football player.[59][60] Upon taking the role, Boseman first spoke with Rachel Robinson, which he said was of great help in discovering the character.[56] The same year, Boseman also starred in the independent filmThe Kill Hole, which was released in theaters a few weeks before42.[61]
Critics, even those who viewed the film negatively, felt that Boseman's being a relatively unknown actor was a benefit when playing an icon and an athlete;Mick LaSalle ofSan Francisco Chronicle wrote that "as [...] played by Chadwick Boseman, Robinson is a hero we can recognize",[62] and Mary Pols forTime said that "Boseman is not a hugely close physical match to Robinson, except for perhaps in the power he conveys, but he's a great choice to play the ball player".[63]The Guardian's Mike McCahill noted that "Boseman hits his key scenes out of the park", but felt the film would not interest people who are not baseball fans,[64] withDana Stevens ofSlate suggesting that the film made black history "squeaky-clean" and did both Robinson and Boseman's performance as him a disservice.[65]
In 2014, Boseman starred in another sporting film,Draft Day, as fictional football player Vontae Mack.[66][67] He had workshopped theTupac Shakurjukebox musicalHoller If Ya Hear Me in 2013, but did not continue toBroadway with it in order to take the role ofJames Brown in 2014'sGet on Up.[23] As Brown, Boseman did some singing and all of his own dancing,[68] working with choreographer Aakomon Jones for five to eight hours a day over two months in preparation. ProducerMick Jagger also directed him on interacting with audiences when performing live music.[69] He had not wanted to take a role in another biopic so soon after playing an icon in Robinson, saying he "wasn't looking to do it again for another 15, 20 years",[69] but was sought out as directorTate Taylor's only choice.[26] Co-starDan Aykroyd, who had known Brown, praised Boseman's performance, saying that it was neither replication nor impression and that he "did not have to squint sitting across from [Boseman] to imagine that [he] was talking to [Brown]".[69] Boseman also stayed in character between filming on set; Taylor said this was not amethod acting approach, and more a necessity due to Boseman's holding his vocal cords unnaturally to imitate Brown'ssouthern drawl.[26]
His performance was praised as the highlight of a generally well received movie, with theRotten Tomatoes critical consensus reading: "With an unforgettable Chadwick Boseman in the starring role,Get On Up offers the Godfather of Soul a fittingly dynamic homage."[70] Among the critics wasTime'sRichard Corliss (hyperbolically)[71] saying that Boseman "deserves aPulitzer, aNobel and instant election to theRock and Roll Hall of Fame."[72] Eulogizing Boseman,Donald Clarke ofThe Irish Times said that "Get on Up tested every weapon in the actor's arsenal [and his] performance confirmed that, like a star fromHollywood's golden age, Chadwick Boseman could do it all and do it all with style."[73]
Boseman had sold athriller screenplay toUniversal Pictures in 2014, which he continued to collaborate on with creative partner Logan Coles and planned to star in, and toldThe Guardian that he still wanted to be a director but would explore his acting career first, adding that "maybe it'll be easier if you're a successful actor".[26][71] In 2016, he starred asThoth, a deity fromEgyptian mythology, inGods of Egypt.[74] Boseman was one of the few actors of color featured in the film, which had drawn criticism for using a predominantlywhite cast to portray Egyptian characters. Agreeing with the criticism, Boseman said this had motivated him to accept the role, to ensure one of the film's African characters would be played by someone of African descent.[14] Boseman's own casting was criticized for falling under the "Magical Negro" stereotype.The Independent reported that Boseman shook his head while tellingGQ in an interview that "people don't make $140 million movies starring black and brown people".[75] It was his first largelyCGI film, and he expressed that he preferred acting alongside people than withblue screens and prop stand-ins.[71] The film was heavily criticized;Jordan Hoffman forThe Guardian said that it lacks story or interesting characters, but "Boseman makes for nice comic relief as the witty Thoth",[76] withWill Leitch ofThe New Republic saying that his then-upcomingMarvel Studios role may have to work "to make you forget he was ever in this movie".[77] Perri Nemiroff forCollider said that Boseman shines as "the only cast member who really seems to understand the movie he's in".[78]
In 2016, Boseman began portraying theMarvel Comics characterT'Challa / Black Panther in theMarvel Cinematic Universe.Captain America: Civil War was his first film in a five-picture deal withMarvel Entertainment.[79][80] He did not audition for the role, instead having a "discussion about what [Marvel] wanted to do and how [he] saw it and what [he] wanted to do."[81] While working onCivil War, Boseman learned someXhosa fromJohn Kani, who playedhis father, and insisted on using the language for the character.[44] Boseman also developed aWakandan accent himself, and used it during the entire production "whether he was on camera or not".[82] When asked by journalist Ryan Gilbey if he felt pressure not to "screw up" the beloved comics character, Boseman responded by saying: "It's more positive than that. It's more like: 'Seize it. Enjoy it.'"[83] He told theAssociated Press, though, that he more identified with the Black Panther's nemesis,Killmonger, knowing that his roots to his African past had been severed.[28] ProducerKevin Feige explained that the Black Panther was included inCivil War "because [they] needed a third party. [It] needed fresh eyes [of a character] who wasn't embedded with theAvengers and who has a very different point of view than eitherTony orSteve."[84][85] Boseman's performance inCivil War was highly praised, though critics acknowledged the character's inclusion was largely to set up his upcoming headlining movie.[86]
We know what it's like to be told there isn't a screen for you to be featured on, a stage for you to be featured on. [...] We know what it's like to be beneath and not above. And that is what we went to work with every day. We knew that we could create a world that exemplified a world we wanted to see. We knew that we had something to give.
Boseman returned as the Black Panther inBlack Panther (2018),[87] directed byRyan Coogler,[88] which focused on the character and his home country of Wakanda in Africa. The film opened to great anticipation, becoming one of thehighest-grossing films. The role earned Boseman a spot on the 2018Time 100 as one of the world's most influential people, withSean Combs writing his entry.[89] It is seen as a landmark in being the first mega-budget movie to have a predominantly black cast and director, as well as the firstsuperhero film to be nominated for anAcademy Award for Best Picture.[90] The film received universal acclaim and Boseman was praised; Matthew Norman for theEvening Standard said that he "brings a measure of sub-Shakespearean gravitas to T'Challa's struggle to bear the weight of his crown";[91]Richard Lawson andSight & Sound's Kelli Weston also noted the strength of gravitas Boseman gave to the performance.[92][93] Weston added that he, "despite having the more thankless role [out of T'Challa and Killmonger], carries the film with a quiet dignity one might rightfully expect of a man raised to be king."[93]Todd McCarthy andThe Village Voice's Kristen Yoonsoo Kim saw that while Boseman played his serious character well, the cast was full of charismatic scene stealers.[94][95]Peter Travers gave much praise to Boseman as the lead, and said that he "digs so deep into T'Challa that you can feel his nerve endings";[96] LaSalle wrote that "Boseman commands every moment of this film, radiating probity and purpose, and it's only later on that you realize that, with another actor, this wouldn't have been a sure thing."[97]
He reprised the role in bothAvengers: Infinity War andAvengers: Endgame, which were released in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Both films were the highest grossing of the year they were released, withEndgame going on to become the highest-grossing film of all time.[98]Infinity War was filmed at the same time asBlack Panther, and Boseman and other actors playing Wakandan characters improvised chanting scenes in the former that originated in the latter.[99] Boseman's last physical appearance as Black Panther was inEndgame, at Tony Stark's funeral;[28] he voiced alternate versions of T'Challa in the 2021Disney+ animated seriesWhat If...?.[100][101]
Boseman portrayedThurgood Marshall in the biographical filmMarshall in 2017. Set years before he became the first African AmericanSupreme Court Justice, the movie focuses on one of Marshall's early cases, thetrial of Joseph Spell. It was premiered at Howard University, which both Boseman and Marshall had attended.[102][103] Boseman was still worried about being put into a "biopic box", and felt that he didn't look enough like the real Marshall,[104] but took the role because he enjoyed the script "separate from the historical relevance";[105] he had expected big courtroom speeches but found that in the case Marshall was silenced by the judge and had to mentor white co-counsel Sam Friedman (Josh Gad) to take on his first criminal case.[106][107] He toldThe New York Times that he liked this element of the story because "it doesn't allow you as an audience member, no matter what color you are, to hide from the issues".[108] Boseman researched Marshall extensively before portraying him, as well as studying videos of him speaking and losing muscle to reflect the younger Marshall's wiry frame.[105] The film opened to an average critical reception, though Boseman's performance was praised.[109][110] However,Vulture criticized his casting, noting that, unlike Boseman, "the real-life Marshall was a light-skinned man, and his place on the color spectrum undoubtedly influenced how he became such a legend."[111] Boseman had been concerned about their differences before taking the role, but was convinced by the director and producer that as the film was telling an insular story it did not matter as much.[107]
In 2019, he starred in21 Bridges, an American action thriller film directed byBrian Kirk, as anNYPD detective who shuts down the eponymous twenty-one bridges ofManhattan to find two suspected cop killers. He was approached to work on the film by two of its producers,Avengers directors theRusso brothers, at theInfinity War premiere.[112] While21 Bridges was filming, the Russos and Boseman were working onEndgame.[113] Boseman was also a producer on21 Bridges, something he said was made clear to him in his early conversations with the production team;[112] the three producers are given a nod in one of the film's opening lines, when a character is described as an "avenger".[114] All of the film's characters were originally conceived as male and white, with Boseman encouraging amendments to this and other parts of the story.[112] In his capacity as a producer, Boseman sought outSienna Miller to be his co-star; Miller, who was intending to take a break from acting while her daughter was young, asked for a salary that the studio would not meet, and so Boseman donated the rest from his own pay.[115] He also personally calledStephan James to ask him to play one of the criminals Boseman's detective is hunting; the two actors had been planning to work more together after the film.[113] Boseman said that he and Coles "fought for casting and for actors that brought particular sensibilities and feelings".[112]
As an actor, Boseman developed his character by going on calls with the NYPD andLAPD,[116] which he said influenced the writing after he fed back his experiences, and learning how to fire blanks and handle a gun with a police weapons specialist.[117] While the film received mixed reviews, the cast was praised;[118] Clarisse Loughrey ofThe Independent wrote that the film was indelicate in its storytelling, but that Boseman "finds a surprising amount to work with in such a basic, stock character",[119] while theLos Angeles Times said that "Chadwick Boseman and thin characters cannot keep21 Bridges from collapsing".[120]Glenn Kenny ofRogerEbert.com was more positive towards the film, writing that "it's no small feat to tie up an intelligent action thriller with such assuredness" and that "Boseman [...] does a lot of running and driving and gun-pointing and car-hood slamming here, but his character also does a lot of thinking – and a lot of maneuvering."[121]
In 2019, Boseman was announced as part of the cast for theNetflix filmsDa 5 Bloods, directed bySpike Lee, andMa Rainey's Black Bottom, directed by George C. Wolfe.[122][123] He took these "bucket-list roles" for opportunities to work with Lee and withMa Rainey producer Denzel Washington, as well as the opportunity to perform in anAugust Wilson play, tellingEntertainment Weekly that he wanted to make these non-superhero films because "if you don't do the films that you plan to do, I think you wouldn't feel fulfilled as an artist."[123] He was also cast in a film telling the story ofYasuke, the only non-Asian samurai and the first black man in Japan, which he was set to co-produce; Boseman said: "[the story is] not just an action movie, [it is] a cultural event, an exchange, and I am excited to be part of it."[124]Time included Boseman on their list of the 10 Best Movie Performances of 2020, for bothDa 5 Bloods andMa Rainey;[125] forMa Rainey, Boseman received posthumous nominations in the Best Actor category at theAcademy Awards,British Academy Film Awards,Golden Globe Awards, andScreen Actors Guild Awards,[126] becoming the eighth person (and seventh man) to receive a posthumous Academy Award acting nomination.[127]
Da 5 Bloods was released on June 12, 2020.[128] Lee, in choosing Boseman for the divine-like character of Stormin' Norman, said: "This character is heroic; he's a superhero. Who do we cast? We cast Jackie Robinson, James Brown, Thurgood Marshall, and we cast T'Challa."[129] Reception of his character was mostly positive; for the Associated Press, Jocelyn Noveck wrote that Boseman played Norman "with movie-star charisma and classic war-movie grit",[130] andEmpire's Kambole Campbell said his performance had "regal charisma",[131] while Chuck Bowen ofSlant said that he "has a hauntingly gaunt presence, but he's already played too many saints."[132]The A.V. Club's Ashley Ray-Harris felt the lack of digital de-aging for the other characters was unsuccessful in its aims and that "Lee's script doesn't give Boseman much to do outside of this confused, Christ-like characterization and never exposes Norman's own naïveté."[133] Conversely,Peter Bradshaw ofThe Guardian saw it as a reflection that "[he] has grown not old as those that are left grew old", and a way to show how Norman has been romanticized in his comrades' memories;[134] Odie Henderson ofRogerEbert.com had a similar view and said that Boseman was "a perfect casting move", with the actor already carrying such a mythical status in black culture that he does not need to do much to be a believable mythical black icon as Norman.[135]
For the songs, rituals and folklore that were lost in slavery's middle passage, [August Wilson's] plays are those forgotten songs remixed for the struggles of adapting to these shores [...] In the similar way that Wilson's work was influenced by theblues ofBessie Smith,Muddy Waters andW. C. Handy, my plays were infused with Tupac,Biggie andBlack Star.
The filmMa Rainey's Black Bottom, in which Boseman co-stars as trumpeter Levee, was released after the actor's death in 2020.[136] Director Wolfe said that Boseman was excited by the role for the challenge it posed, saying that "it's amonster role and it's a thrilling role, it's a difficult role. All of those things are exhilarating for an actor. And [Boseman] rose to the occasion and more than delivered."[32] The film is based on the August Wilsonplay of the same name; Boseman was a fan of Wilson and wrote about him and his inspiration on Boseman's own work in a 2013 essay for theLos Angeles Times.[28][123] According to Chris Jones, Boseman's Levee is "an astonishing, revelatory performance and formidably distinct from the numerous interpretations seen on the stage";[136]A. O. Scott ofThe New York Times similarly opined that "it will be hard, from now on, to imagine [...] a Levee to compare with Boseman."[137]Angelica Jade Bastién forVulture wrote at length on Boseman's performance, saying that "many of the important turns in the film hinge on Boseman's presence at the center. [...] In the first of his lachrymose monologues, Boseman is called to embody [anger and] gives the scene his all."[138] Charlotte O'Sullivan of theEvening Standard said Boseman was brave to take on a "more curdled" role than the heroic leaders he is best known for, and that "as skilful as he was talented, [he] hits the right notes, all the time."[139] Clarisse Loughrey wrote that it was the actor's finest performance, that "when [he] rages against an unjust God [...] it strikes like thunder" and is "delivered with such grace that there's a sense he had another hundred performances like it still in him."[140]
Boseman began dating singer Taylor Simone Ledward in 2015.[143] The two reportedly got engaged by October 2019, and they later married in secret, as revealed by Boseman's family in a statement announcing his death.[144][143]
Boseman was raised a Christian and wasbaptized. He was part of a church choir and youth group and his former pastor said that he still kept his faith.[145]
Outside of performing, Boseman supported various charities. He worked with cancer charities includingSt. Jude Children's Research Hospital, continuing to support those battling the disease up until his own death from it; in a message to a producer days before he died, Boseman inquired about sending gifts to childhood cancer patients.[147] He donated $10,000 to theBoys and Girls Club of Harlem to provide free tickets for children who wanted to seeBlack Panther;[citation needed] he did this to support and promote the Black Panther Challenge started by a New Yorker to raise money for similar children across the country. In response,Disney donated $1million to the Boys & Girls Clubs to advance itsSTEM programs.[148] Boseman advocated for children's charities, with theJackie Robinson Foundation noting after his death that he helped with their youth outreach. When Disney planned to donate $400million to charitable causes, Boseman encouraged the move. In April 2020, he donated $4.2million inpersonal protective equipment to hospitals fighting theCOVID-19 pandemic in black communities, starting his own Operation 42 challenge to encourage others to donatePPE.[149][147]
In politics, Boseman supported the When We All Vote campaign,[citation needed] and his lasttweet before his death was congratulatingKamala Harris on her selection asJoe Biden'svice-presidential nominee.[150] Prior to the 2018 midterm elections, Boseman urged Twitter followers to visitVoteRiders online or call the organization's helpline to ensure eligible voters had the ID needed to cast a ballot.[151]
Boseman was diagnosed withstage IIIcolon cancer in 2016. It progressed tostage IV before 2020.[7] He never spoke publicly about his cancer diagnosis, and according toThe Hollywood Reporter, "Only a handful of non-family members knew that Boseman was sick... with varying degrees of knowledge about the severity of [his] condition."[152] During treatment, involving multiple surgeries andchemotherapy, he continued to work and completed production for several films, includingMarshall,Da 5 Bloods,Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, and others.
Boseman died at his Los Angeles home as a result of complications related to colon cancer on August 28, 2020, with his wife and family by his side.[153][154][155] He was 43 years old. He diedintestate, and his estate was governed by California law with the representation of Ledward, his widow.[156]
A public memorial service was held on September 4, 2020, inAnderson, South Carolina. Speakers included Boseman's childhood pastor as well as Deanna Brown-Thomas, daughter ofJames Brown, whom Boseman portrayed inGet on Up.[157] The city announced plans for the creation of a permanent art memorial at the service.[158] Despite reports that Boseman was buried at Welfare Baptist Church cemetery in nearbyBelton, South Carolina,[159] the funeral home handling the services and the church pastor both denied this.[160]
Many fellow actors and other celebrities paid tribute to Boseman on social media following the announcement of his death, including a number of his Marvel Cinematic Universe co-stars. Marvel Studios president andCCO Kevin Feige called Boseman's death, "absolutely devastating", writing: "Each time he stepped on set, he radiated charisma and joy, and each time he appeared on screen, he created something truly indelible [...] Now he takes his place [as] an icon for the ages."[161][162] Co-stars from Boseman's other films also paid tribute to him.[163] Hisalma mater, Howard University, tweeted in reaction that "his incredible talent will forever be immortalized through his characters and through his own personal journey from student to superhero".[164]
On August 29, 2020, the day after Boseman died, the tweet in which his family announced his death on his Twitter account became themost-liked tweet in history, with over six million likes in under 24 hours,[165][166] and accumulating over seven million by August 31, far displacing the previous record holder.[167] His death was likened to other unexpected deaths of other celebrities in 2020, particularlyKobe Bryant andNaya Rivera.[168] The Associated Press andClarín noted Rivera and Boseman as Hollywood's most impactful 2020 deaths.[169][170]
On August 28, 2020, aChange.org petition was started, seeking to replace aConfederate monument in his hometown of Anderson with a statue of Boseman; it collected more than 50,000 signatures in less than a week, surpassing its original goal of 15,000 signatures.[177]Henry McMaster, theGovernor of South Carolina, ordered theStatehouse flags be lowered to half-staff on August 30 in honor of Boseman, who was born and raised in the state.[178]ABC (which, like Marvel Entertainment, is owned by Disney) aired a commercial-free version ofBlack Panther, followed by a special about Boseman's life and work titledChadwick Boseman – A Tribute for a King on the same day.[179][180] Also aired on August 30 was the2020 MTV Video Music Awards; the ceremony was dedicated to Boseman.[181] On September 24, 2020, Disney unveiled a mural titledKing Chad, by artistNikkolas Smith dedicated to Boseman atDowntown Disney in Anaheim, California.[182] In February 2021, another mural dedicated to Boseman was painted atTrilith Studios inFayetteville, Georgia, by artist Brandon Sadler.[183][184] Following hisBest Actor win at the Academy Awards in April 2021,Anthony Hopkins said, "I want to pay tribute to Chadwick Boseman, who was taken from us far too early [...]."[185]
Boseman is also memorialized in the 2020 video gameMarvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales. The game includes an after-credits message dedicating it in memory of Boseman, as well as a street called Boseman Way on42nd Street; the number 42 bears significance in theMiles Morales mythos as well as referring to Boseman's portrayal of Jackie Robinson. A Wakandan flag also appears.[186]Amazon also madeBlack Panther comic titles available for free on itsComiXology platform in the wake of Boseman's death.[187][188] On November 29, 2020, Marvel changed the studio's logo animation in the opening ofBlack Panther on Disney+ to include images of Boseman from the film, as well as his appearances inCaptain America: Civil War,Avengers: Infinity War, andAvengers: Endgame, to honor what would have been Boseman's 44th birthday.[189]
In a 2020 tribute, Ryan Coogler, the director ofBlack Panther andits 2022 sequel, offered condolences to Boseman's family and said that he had spent the last year "preparing, imagining and writing words for him to say [in the sequel] that we weren't destined to see". Coogler and Marvel Studios executives were unaware of Boseman's illness until his death.[190][191] By the time of Boseman's death, Coogler was in the middle of writing the script and had already turned in a draft.[192][193] Also paying tribute, Feige confirmed that the role of T'Challa would not be recast.[194] ProducerNate Moore said that Boseman "was such an integral part of that character for us, both as the character and as a person, that we could not conceive of a version with having someone else on set".[195]
Co-writers Coogler and Joe Robert Cole reworked the script following Boseman's death. The sequel,Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), depicts T'Challa's death from illness and Wakandans processing the resultant grief; the Marvel Studios opening, usually featuring other MCU characters, only depicts the faint sound of wind and images of Boseman.[195][196] T'Challa's sisterShuri (played byLetitia Wright) would eventually succeed him as Black Panther. Wright struggled with becoming Black Panther on the sequel as she felt bitter about how that had come to pass, and felt guilty for doing it. She credited Coogler and her costarDanai Gurira for helping her with the transition.[197][198] The end credits featured the words "Dedicated to our friend Chadwick Boseman", andThe Independent describedWakanda Forever as a "soulful Chadwick Boseman tribute".[199] Coogler said that while the film was a tribute to Boseman, it was also a tribute to the resilience of the cast to "honor Boseman".[195]
On April 8, 2025,Hannah Beachler revealed on herX page that the way the church in the filmSinners was designed included crossed beams which made the "Wakanda forever" gesture and paid homage to Boseman.[200][201]
According to film criticOwen Gleiberman ofVariety, "Boseman was avirtuoso actor who had the rare ability to create a character from the outside in and the inside out [and he] knew how to fuse with a role, etching it in three dimensions [...] That's what made him an artist, and a movie star, too. Yet inBlack Panther, he also became that rare thing, a culture hero".[202] Similarly, reviewer Richard Brody inThe New Yorker finds the originality of Boseman's formidable acting technique in his ability to empathize with the interior lives of his characters and render them on screen as fully and completely belonging to the character.[203] He was uniquely able to capture and portray the dignity of his characters, according toThe New York Times criticWesley Morris.[204] Well known for taking biopic roles, Hanna Flint for theBBC said he became the frequent choice because of his dedication to embodying character.[17] Peter Bradshaw wrote of the actor's "beauty, his grace, his style, his presence [...] These made up Chadwick Boseman's persona [and he became] the lost prince of American cinema[,] glorious and inspirational".[205]
Culture writer Steve Rose, inThe Guardian, said that Boseman's career was revolutionary and he "leaves behind a gamechanging legacy", attributing this to the actor's careful planning and selection of roles. Eulogizing him, Rose wrote:[206]
Chadwick Boseman began his career playing African American icons and pioneers; he ends it as one himself. His [...] achievements, as an actor and as a cultural force, will surely prove to be as heroic as those of the characters he portrayed. At the very least, he leaves the film-making landscape looking very different to how it was when he entered it.
As the Black Panther, Boseman led a predominantly black cast in a major blockbuster for the first time;[17]Variety said that "the significance of Chadwick Boseman [...] to the African American and Black community is immeasurable."[207] Further expressing the weight of Boseman's legacy, Robert Daniels wrote forVulture that "his performance [as T'Challa] wouldn't just be a demonstration of craft [...] It'd become a piece of history. He'd face a slew of pressures, because a Black epic, even a period piece, is forever expected to beimportant, representative of the past, present, and future."[208] He toldBBC Culture that "through his acting, [Boseman] wrote, rewrote, and reclaimed black history".[17] Boseman'sMa Rainey co-starViola Davis told Rose that "he is going to be remembered as a hero", both as the Black Panther and for the authentic man he was, and that "his legacy, his body of work, his integrity, is going to influence on generations upon generations to come."[209] BBC Culture called him "a film icon who changed Hollywood"; "a symbol of black excellence and of cinematic excellence"; and "a virtuoso and heroic figure, not just because of his iconic turn as Marvel's Black Panther but for how he raised the bar for racial equality and representation on screen."[17]
Rhea Combs, film curator of theSmithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, said that with his screen presence, Boseman "was not only a conduit to the past and the way African-Americans persevered and pushed through so many challenges, he also represented brightness and the promise of tomorrow".[210] The BBC also noted his impact of infusing African authenticity into his work, including his motivations for taking a role inGods of Egypt as well as how T'Challa is presented, saying that he "connect[s] African-American audiences with their African heritage".[17]
His alma mater, Howard University, renamed its College of Fine Arts in honor of Boseman on May 26, 2021.[211] On March 19, 2024, theAnderson School District Five Board of Trustees, the school district in which Boseman attended, renamed the performing arts center at Southwood Academy of the Arts in his honor.[212] TheHarlem Globetrotters honored Boseman by selecting him as their draft pick.[213]
X-Men '97, therevival ofX-Men: The Animated Series, premiered on March 20, 2024, inDisney+ but featuredT'Chaka instead ofT'Challa as the show'sBlack Panther despiteFantastic Four having previously established T'Challa as the current Black Panther. When asked about this continuity error on hisTwitter account, showrunnerBeau DeMayo stated that when developing the show'sfirst season in early 2021, he andMarvel Studios felt it was too soon to feature T'Challa since Boseman's death so they chose to "put humanity before continuity" by featuring T'Chaka instead.[214] ForBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever, Marvel opted to not recast T’Challa. They instead had the character die off screen at the beginning of the film. His sisterShuri, played byLetitia Wright, would later succeed him as Black Panther.
The T'Challa / Black Panther variant of theWhat If...? episode "What If... Zombies?!" returns in theMarvel Zombies miniseries, but in a nonspeaking role. ShowrunnerBryan Andrews and executive producerBrad Winderbaum attributed this decision to their wishes to respect Boseman by havingPeter Parker / Spider-Man narrate those moments depicting T'Challa onscreen so they can revisit his character in "some strange way" to be with him, while acknowledging that if Boseman were still alive, they would have taken "completely different choices". They showed an early animatic toBlack Panther (2018) andBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) directorRyan Coogler to get his notes, who gave them some great ideas for the sequence that were "really additive".[215]
^Berry, S. Torriano; Berry, Venise T. (2015).Historical Dictionary of African American Cinema. Rowman & Littlefield.ISBN9781442247024.Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. RetrievedJune 14, 2020.Boseman, Chadwick (1976) ... He was born in Anderson, South Carolina, and is a graduate of T.L. Hannah High School and Howard University.
^"SC natives star in Jackie Robinson biopic "42". Myrtle Beach, South Carolina:WMBF-TV. April 13, 2013.Archived from the original on June 14, 2020. RetrievedJune 14, 2020.Boseman was born and raised in Anderson, where he attended T.L Hanna High School.
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