Cody White
The actor known to many in the comics fandom for his turn at the titular role in The Black Panther, Chadwick Boseman, has tragically passed away from colon cancer. The Black Panther role was immediately considered a major milestone for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and even all of cinema, bringing home an Oscar after being nominated for a total of seven.
Boseman was never nominated and didn’t have the chance to win an Academy Award.
He wasn’t nominated for his masterful portrayal of Jackie Robinson in the film 42. His harrowing portrayal of James Brown received no nods with Get On Up. He played Thurgood Marshall in Marshall in yet another stunning performance. The critics all seem in accord– he is a remarkable talent staring in brilliant and important films that just can’t seem to win awards.
And now, in the prime of his life, he’s gone. Just like that. Fuck cancer.
Over the past four years, his Stage III diagnosis of colon cancer graduated to Stage IV and now, on the 28th of August, 2020, it took his life. I grieve for his family, I was not prepared for this news today and am having a hard time forming words about this painful, tragic loss. I did a search. Did we know he had cancer all this time and we just didn’t talk about it? I’m not turning anything up, though. I found an article from February 2018 where it talks about his relationship with two terminally ill children throughout the filming of Black Panther who sadly didn’t survive to opening day but no mention of any illness. Perhaps that is what makes this one hurt so bad?
The shock of it.
The news was confirmed via the actor’s Twitter account with a statement…
— Chadwick Boseman (@chadwickboseman) August 29, 2020
And the injustice that somebody so young and so talented could be taken by a disease that we just can’t seem to beat. And the injustice that recognition for his talent will come too late. It just isn’t fair.