Boseman Forever

As of this writing, I have yet to see the Black Panther sequel, and that's because I am still behind just a bit on the Marvel movies (that includes having still not seen the latest Doctor Strange film). I do know this, however: that film had to have done absolute justice to the late, great Chadwick Boseman, who portrayed the titular superhero in four previous films. Hard to believe that at the time of Boseman's passing, I had been watching him in some form for a decade, having first seen Boseman in the short-lived series, Persons Unknown.

Also hard to believe: 42 turns 10 this year. It doesn't seem like it's been a decade, but it was on April 12, 2013 that Boseman was first seen on the big screen portraying Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson, the very player who broke baseball's color barrier on April 15, 1947. Naturally, I saw this film at the theater; for one, it's an important piece of Black history, but also, I'm a sports fan and a bit of an enthusiast of classic baseball (having your nose in various books about baseball in junior high and high school will do that). Unsurprisingly, Boseman excelled in this film, which boasted a stellar cast that included Harrison Ford (as Branch Rickey), Nicole Beharie (as Rachel Robinson, who celebrated her 100th birthday in 2022), Christopher Meloni (as Leo Durocher), and Lucas Black (as Pee Wee Reese).

A year later, Boseman appeared in the film, Draft Day, alongside Kevin Costner, but it was later in 2014 that Boseman appeared in Get On Up, the film centered on the iconic soul singer, James Brown. This was Boseman's second biopic film in just over a year, and he was absolutely fantastic as the Godfather of Soul. The film had quite the legendary cast: Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Aunjanue Ellis, Dan Aykroyd, Allison Janney, and the late Nelsan Ellis.

Boseman's greatest role will forever be as T'Challa, the king of Wakanda, as well as the superhero Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series of films. Boseman debuted as Black Panther in 2016's Captain America: Civil War, the noted MCU film that saw Captain America and Iron Man at odds with each other, though his spotlight came in his own self-titled film two years later. 2018's Black Panther boasted a cast that included Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Daniel Kaluuya, and Michael B. Jordan, and as for Boseman, he returned as Black Panther later that year in Avengers: Infinity War, and the heavily anticipated 2019 film, Avengers: Endgame.

Boseman's appearances and performances as Black Panther were legendary for so many reasons. For one, it was a high-level showcase of racial diversity. For another, the self-titled film featured an iconic cast of Black actors. But the main thing that stood out about Boseman's performances: he did it all while battling a terminal illness.

It was in 2016, the same year that his deal with Marvel began, that Boseman was diagnosed with Stage III colon cancer. His battle was private; other than family members, only a very small number of outsiders knew about his illness. Despite it all, Boseman's workload was heavy. Not only did he star in the Marvel movies, he also portrayed Thurgood Marshall in 2017's Marshall, hosted Saturday Night Live in 2018, and also starred in the 2019 crime thriller, 21 Bridges, and 2020's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.

Shortly before 2020, Boseman's cancer progressed to Stage IV, and on August 28, 2020, Boseman passed away at the age of 43. I vividly remember what I was doing when I heard the shocking news; I was watching the New York Yankees facing the New York Mets on MLB Network, and it was play-by-play announcer Matt Vasgersian who broke the news. In addition, because the 2020 MLB season was shortened and started late, the day of Boseman's passing just happened to be the same as MLB's observed Jackie Robinson Day, which falls on April 15 on normal seasons (April 16 for teams who are off during that day). The aforementioned film, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, was Boseman's last--released on November 25, 2020, just under three months after Boseman's passing.

Chadwick Boseman left quite a lasting legacy. We all know that Boseman's an amazing actor who played immensely legendary roles. His dedication during his final years is something to be respected; diligently working on the Marvel films and other projects while battling a terminal illness. Boseman was also quite the humanitarian as well. For one, when Brie Larson was highly (and unfairly) picked on by Marvel for promoting diversity, and was also receiving death threats as well, Boseman was one of very few people who stood by Larson. I mentioned 21 Bridges earlier. Boseman's main co-star was Sienna Miller, who played villainess Frankie Burns in the film. According to Miller herself, Boseman donated part of his salary to her so she could be fairly compensated.

Chadwick Boseman wore a lot of different hats in the short time he was on this earth. Actor. Humanitarian. Devoted husband. You name it. Boseman wore all of them proudly and wonderfully, and his legacy lives on and is absolutely undeniable.