News broke out on Friday night, August 28, 2020 of the sudden death of ‘Black Panther’ actor Chadwick Boseman. The unexpected bombshell has since struck Hollywood with a big blow considering the short but lasting legacy of Chadwick on and off the big screen.
Few hours after his death announcement on Twitter, the post generated the most liked tweet ever with over 5 million likes and 2.5 million retweets, surpassing past record holder Barrack Obama, who had 4.3 million likes. The tweet now has 7.4 million likes and 3.1 million retweets. “Most liked Tweet ever. A tribute fit for a King. #WakandaForever,” penned Twitter.
Several Hollywood stars and TV networks have poured out their tribute messages celebrating the late actor. Marvel studios shared on Instagram “Your legacy will live on forever. Rest In Peace.” The studio together with ABC aired a special presentation of ‘Black Panther’ followed by an ABC News Special titled ‘Chadwick Boseman – A Tribute for a King’ yesterday hosted by Good Morning America presenter Robin Roberts.
Variety reports that, rating for the Disney-owned network has gone up following the telecast of ‘Black Panther’ and the special tribute. A total number of 6.1 million people tuned in to watch ‘Black Panther’ delivering a Sunday night-high of 1.4 rating for the network. The special tribute also accrued 1.1 rating and 4.7 million viewers, the second largest tally on the night.
There were special appearances from the ‘Avengers’ franchise actors such as Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Winston Duke, Mark Ruffalo, and Paul Rudd. Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg, Marvel chief Kevin Feige, Disney’s Bob Iger, and Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr., also took turns in paying respect for Boseman in the Special tribute.
‘Black Panther’ director Ryan Coogler broke his silence on the actor’s passing with an emotional tribute message in which he described Boseman as, “A caretaker, a leader, and a man of faith, dignity and pride.” Stating his obliviousness of Boseman’s ailment until the day of his death, Coogler narrated how the late actor showed concern to him and his family’s well-being amidst the early periods of COVID-19 despite his own personal battles. He wrote, “It hurts more to know that we can’t have another conversation, or facetime, or text message exchange. He would send vegetarian recipes and eating regimens for my family and me to follow during the pandemic. He would check in on me and my loved ones, even as he dealt with the scourge of cancer.”
Fellow ‘Black Panther’ cast mate Danai Gurira also shared in a lengthy post, “He made everyone feel loved, heard and seen. He played great, iconic roles because he possessed inside of himself that connection to greatness to be able to so richly bring them to life.”
At the just ended MTV Music Video Awards, host of the ceremony Keke Palmer kick-started by dedicating the entire evening to Boseman as a sign of respect to a once lived phenomenal being who touched the lives of many, “His impact lives forever”.
The cause of death of Boseman is attributed to colon cancer, which he was diagnosed with in 2016. Within the 4-year space of battling with the disease, the actor played iconic roles such as T’Challa in ‘Black Panther’ and appeared in ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and ‘Avengers: Endgame’.
Aside powerful fiction characters he portrayed on the big screen, Boseman also depicted real-life characters in movies such as ’42’ where he played late sports legend Jackie Robinson. In ‘Get on Up’ Boseman played the late American-singer James Brown. He was 43 years old.
