Devastatingly, and almost unbelievably, Chadwick Boseman, the star of Marvel’s Black Panther, has died at the age of 43 after a private four-year battle with colon cancer.
Despite a life cut tragically short, Boseman amassed a tremendous filmography. His legacy might be summed up in one word: Pride. In addition to the fictional T’Challa, leader of utopian nation of Wakanda in the Marvel movies, he was known for his powerful, dignified, and humanizing portrayals of pioneering Black American leaders such as baseball great Jackie Robinson in 42; future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in the legal drama Marshall, about one of his early cases as an NAACP attorney; and soul star James Brown in the musical biography Get On Up.
Admirers the world over were wracked with grief and shock at the news, especially because there was virtually no awareness of his longtime illness. In April, Boseman posted a self-shot video to promote an initiative to help hospitals that serve primarily African-American communities, and the footage alarmed many due to his gaunt appearance. It was one of the few hints at his failing health, but nothing was ever confirmed. Some fans assumed he was losing weight for a role.
The Associated Press first reported Boseman’s death on Friday evening. The actor’s official Twitter account soon corroborated the news: “It is with immeasurable grief that we confirm the passing of Chadwick Boseman,” it wrote, explaining that Boseman had been diagnosed with colon cancer in 2016. He continued working despite his diagnosis, including his work on Black Panther, which shot in early 2017.
“It was the honor of his career to bring King T’Challa to life in Black Panther,” the statement continued. “He died in his home, with his wife and family by his side.”
Even recently, Boseman continued to shoot roles in several major films—including Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods and the upcoming film adaptation of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom—“during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy,” according to his representative.
Boseman was raised in Anderson, South Carolina, the only son of Carolyn and Leroy Boseman. He attended Howard University, and later attended the British American Drama Academy of Oxford, England, through a scholarship funded by Denzel Washington. (When Boseman made his breakthrough as a Marvel hero, Washington teased him that he wanted a return on that investment.)