Chadwick Boseman sadly passed away at the age of 43 and it shocked the world. But I wanted to look into what made the Black Panther actor so important.
The world stopped and wept the day it was announced that Chadwick Boseman had died after a battle with colon cancer.
From a personal standpoint, I was looking at the news on my phone and just couldn’t believe what I was reading.
How could the Black Panther actor really be gone?
How could Chadwick Boseman have left us so soon?
He always seemed so young, so vibrant, just so alive.
However, it had been revealed that he had been battling with cancer since 2016.
It was also revealed that he hid his illness from Marvel Studios.
The fact that no one, apart from his close friends and family, knew about his battle added to the shock.
Chadwick Boseman WAS Black Panther
Credit: Marvel Studios
Read more: Black Panther Review
However, there’s also the fact that Chadwick Boseman was Black Panther.
He literally inhabited the role and made it a part of himself.
When Boseman was cast, he immediately realised how important the role was to millions of people.
Black Panther was the first black superhero to get his or her own movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
There had been some superhero movies made prior to Black Panther which featured black leads.
There was the likes of Catwoman and the Blade movies.
However, none of these films really had the cultural impact that Black Panther did.
A lot of that was down to Chadwick Boseman and his performance.
His version of Black Panther was first introduced in Captain America: Civil War, and it was immediately plain for everyone to see that he was the true King of Wakanda.
He helped make Black Panther a cultural and worldwide phenomenon
Credit: Marvel Studios
Read more: Black Panther’s New Teaser Trailer Welcomes Us to Wakanda
There’s also the fact that Black Panther featured an almost entirely black cast and was helmed by a black director in Ryan Coogler.
Coogler also wrote the movie.
However, much of its success lies with Boseman.
Just look at the amount of time and effort he put into T’Challa’s accent.
He literally created the Wakanda accent.
How many Marvel actors – or just actors in general – can claim having invented a new accent for a character?
I can answer that question for you – almost zero.
Boseman understood how important this role and movie would be to millions.
He took it upon himself to do the best he could to make the first Black Panther movie and his performance as memorable as possible.
There’s no Black Panther without Chadwick Boseman
Credit: Marvel Studios
Read more: Black Panther 2 Could Feature A Major X-Men Character In A Key Role
Black Panther ended up making over $1.3 billion at the box office.
It’s one of the highest-grossing movies of all time and it’s now one of the most-streamed movies on Disney Plus.
Yes, there were some issues with the movie (the final third was a bit janky).
However, one thing we can all agree on is that Chadwick Boseman’s performance in it was one of the most regal performances we’ve ever seen on the big screen.
Chadwick should have been playing Black Panther for years to come.
It was said that Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige wanted to make Boseman the MCU’s frontman, much like Robert Downey Jr. had been for years.
It’s sad to think of what could have been as far as Boseman’s career’s concerned.
But, we’ve also got to think and celebrate what he achieved in his 43 years.
You have to watch his incredible performances in his films prior to Black Panther.
He was incredible in films such as 42 and Get On Up in which he played Jackie Robinson and James Brown respectively.
We’ve also got to think about his friends and family, who will be going through unbelievable grief right now.
My heart goes out to all of them.
What will Marvel Studios do now?
Credit: Marvel Studios
Read more: Black Panther Is Definitely Getting A Sequel According To Kevin Feige
Then, there’s much less important question of what will Marvel do now?
Honestly, I wasn’t sure about writing this part of the feature, but it’s something I’ve seen a lot of outlets attempt to tackle.
The honest answer has to be, it doesn’t matter.
However, Marvel Studios will be looking into what they can do as far as Black Panther is concerned.
They already announced a Black Panther 2, which will be written and directed by Ryan Coogler.
There have been talks of recasting, which I think has to be a huge NO.
No, the actual answer is pretty simple as far as I’m concerned.
Black Panther 2 will have to address Chadwick Boseman’s death.
It will have to establish that T’Challa has passed on and this will pave the way for Letitia Wright’s Shuri to take on the mantle.
I think that’s the most logical and also most respectful thing to do as far as Black Panther is concerned.
It’s also comic book accurate. Shuri has taken on the Black Panther mantle in the comics, so it would make sense to have the same thing happen in the movies.
What do you make of Chadwick Boseman’s very sad passing?
Were you shocked by the news?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
What do you make of this story? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook or Instagram pages!
And if you enjoy listening to film podcasts, why not check out our podcasts, Small Screen Stories and Small Screen Film Club wherever you get your podcasts!
There are no comments
Add yours