On August 28, Chadwick Boseman's family shared a statement on social media revealing that the 43-year-old had passed away after a four year battle with colon cancer. The news was devastating for his fans and Hollywood peers alike, and his Marvel Cinematic Universe family took to the internet to sharing heartfelt tributes to their fallen hero.
The statement from the actor’s family shared that Boseman had been diagnosed with the stage III colon cancer in 2016 but continued diligently working in Hollywood throughout his treatments unbeknownst to his co-workers, starring in numerous different films in the meantime. While undergoing chemotherapy and various surgeries, Boseman filmed projects like 21 Bridges, Da 5 Bloods, the upcoming Netflix biopic Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and of course, Black Panther — which he viewed as the “the honor of his career.”
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— Chadwick Boseman (@chadwickboseman) August 29, 2020
“A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all,” read the statement from Boseman’s family. “And brought you many of the films you have come to love so much.”
News of the Black Panther star's death shocked the world, with Boseman's fans flooding social media throughout the weekend to share their condolences and despair over the loss of the icon. The MCU is especially distraught by the word of his passing; working alongside Boseman for years to shoot Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame, none of his co-workers had been privy to his deteriorating health condition. One by one, the stars of the MCU paid their respects, remembering Boseman for what he was for so many of us: a real life Black superhero.
Black Panther director and close friend Ryan Coogler broke his silence in a heartbreaking tribute. Detailing the genesis of his working relationship with Boseman, Coogler described his friend as an “anomaly,” sharing that the actor was a force of nature on and offscreen.
"I haven’t grieved a loss this acute before," wrote Coogler. "I spent the last year preparing, imagining and writing words for him to say, that we weren’t destined to see."
"It is with a heavy heart and a sense of deep gratitude to have ever been in his presence, that I have to reckon with the fact that Chad is an ancestor now," he continued. "And I know that he will watch over us, until we meet again.
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The MCU franchise shared a special tribute across its social media platforms, complete with clips from some of Boseman's best Black Panther moments and interviews from the actors who had a pleasure to work with him in the superhero films.
"You will always be our King," the video surmised, echoing the world's sentiments.