Though Chadwick Boseman’s Hollywood journey as a major culture icon was short-lived, it was revolutionary in all its glory. The legacy of Black Panther, the first high-profile black Marvel superhero, continues to live on within the hearts of future generations. The significance of Boseman’s achievement and the impact he left behind after his shocking, untimely, and devastating death at the age of 43, cannot be overstated.
He didn’t just cement himself in history as a major cultural icon but also time and again, showed us the urgent need for representation in the media. And he did it all while fighting a battle with cancer in secrecy. Even four years after his death, the absence of the person who brought “Wakanda Forever” to life onscreen can be felt incessantly. Lupita Nyong’o, the actress who portrayed Shuri, the love interest of Chadwick Boseman; her reaction to watching a ‘Black Panther’ clip is proof of it.
At the BFI London Film Festival Screen Talk event, she was shown a video of Boseman during a Q&A session. The actress broke down, became silent and emotional for a moment, before composing herself. “I have to admit I haven’t seen the film since Chadwick died. So I’m having a moment,” said Lupita, in a video shared by People.
Fighting back tears, the actress continued, “It’s okay. The grief is just the love with no place to put it, right? I don’t want to run away from the tears or the grief. You just live with it. That experience will never be separate from the love that was formed… I watch this clip and I’m filled with grief, and I don’t know whether I’ll ever be done shedding my tears from losing my friend. But I’m like, we get to see him alive, and that’s so wonderful.”
Chadwick was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016 and after nearly having to battle it for four years, the illness metastasized to stage IV and he passed away in August 2020.
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