Actor Chadwick Boseman will be remembered by many for his on-screen portrayal of Black Panther, a fictional comic book hero who played a crucial role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
However, he also portrayed some of the most groundbreaking figures of the 20th century: Jackie Robinson, James Brown, and Thurgood Marshall.
Boseman died Friday, August 28, at the age of 43. He had been battling colon cancer since 2016, according to a statement posted on his Twitter account.
Boseman’s breakout role came in 2013, when he played baseball legend Jackie Robinson in the film “42.” Alamy Stock PhotoBoseman embraces Jackie Robinson’s widow, Rachel, after the Los Angeles premiere of “42.” Eric Charbonneau/ShutterstockBoseman greets film director Spike Lee at an NBA game in New York in 2013. Jim McIsaac/Getty ImagesBoseman is interviewed on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” soon after “42” hit theaters. Margaret Norton/NBCU/Getty ImagesBoseman laughs with baseball star Matt Kemp after throwing out the first pitch at a Los Angeles Dodgers game in 2013. Paul Spinelli/MLB/Getty ImagesBoseman plays iconic singer James Brown in the 2014 biopic “Get on Up.” Universal PicturesIn 2017’s “Marshall,” Boseman portrayed Thurgood Marshall, the first African American justice on the US Supreme Court. Open Road Films/AlamyBoseman poses with comic book author Stan Lee, who co-created many of the Marvel superheroes that have come to life on the big screen. Chris Pizzello/Invision/APBoseman starred in a number of Marvel films as Black Panther, king of the fictional nation of Wakanda. The character got its own film in 2018. Alamy Stock PhotoThe role of Black Panther/King T’Challa was the “honor of (Boseman’s) career,” said a statement from his publicist, Nicki Fioravante. Gareth Cattermole/Getty ImagesBoseman attends the European premiere of “Black Panther” in London. Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images While competing in the 2018 NBA Dunk Contest, Victor Oladipo wears a Black Panther mask and does the “Wakanda Forever” salute with Boseman, who was sitting courtside. Kevin Mazur/WireImage/Getty ImagesBoseman surprises a fan on “The Tonight Show” in 2018. Andrew Lipovsky/NBCU/Getty ImagesBoseman, as Black Panther, does the “Wakanda Forever” salute in “Avengers: Infinity War.” Marvel Studios/DisneyBoseman walks through the crowd after receiving an award at the MTV Movie and TV Awards in 2018. Matt Sayles/Invision/AP
Boseman is awarded an honorary degree as he gives a graduation speech at Howard University in Washington, DC. Boseman got his bachelor’s degree from Howard in 2000. Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post/Getty Images
Boseman walks through the crowd after receiving an award at the MTV Movie and TV Awards in 2018. Matt Sayles/Invision/APBoseman is joined on stage at the Golden Globes with three of his “Black Panther” co-stars: from left, Danai Gurira, Lupita Nyong’o and Michael B. Jordan. Paul Drinkwater/NBCU/Getty ImagesFrom left, Jordan, Boseman and Angela Bassett attend the Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2019. The “Black Panther” cast won the award for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture.
John Sciulli/Getty Images
Boseman poses with Lady Gaga backstage after she had just won an Oscar in 2019. Matt Sayles/AMPAS/Getty ImagesBoseman and his wife, Taylor Simone Ledward, attend the NBA All-Star Game in February 2020.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images North America/Getty Images
Boseman, center, plays a Vietnam War soldier in “Da 5 Bloods,” a Spike Lee film released in June 2020. Netflix
