“Black Panther” Star Chadwick Boseman Died on Friday

CHADWICK BOSEMAN died Friday, after a four-year battle with colon cancer.  He never revealed the diagnosis publicly, so the news took everyone by surprise.

His death was announced on his Twitter account with this message:  “It is with immeasurable grief that we confirm the passing of Chadwick.  [He] was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer in 2016, [and] it progressed with Stage 4.

“A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much.  From ‘Marshall’ to ‘Da 5 Bloods’, August Wilson’s ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ and several more, all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy.

“It was the honor of his career to bring King T’Challa to life in ‘Black Panther’.  He died in his home, with his wife and family by his side.”

It’s astonishing that he filmed so many movies after his diagnosis.

According to that timeframe, those movies included “Black Panther”, along with “Avengers: Infinity War”, and “Avengers: Endgame”, and the more recent movies mentioned in the Twitter post.  He also hosted “SNL“ in 2018.

By the way, that final post now has the most “LIKES” in the history of Twitter.  Last we checked, it had over 7.3 million.

The most-liked post before his record-setting tweet was one by PRESIDENT OBAMA in 2017, where he said, quote, “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion.”

The timing of Chadwick’s death was also coincidental.  He died on Major League Baseball’s “Jackie Robinson Day,” and his first starring role was playing Jackie in the 2013 movie “42”.

Jackie Robinson Day was supposed to be April 15th, but it was previously rescheduled because COVID-19 delayed the start of the baseball season.  Chadwick posted a video about Jackie Robinson Day back in April . . . and some fans were concerned because he looked a lot thinner than he has in the past.

And Friday was also the birthday of legendary comic book artist Jack Kirby, who was the first person to draw Black Panther.  Kirby died in 1994, but Friday would’ve been his 103rd birthday.

Chadwick may have hinted at his diagnosis in 2017, when an interviewer said “you’ve been through the wringer,” and he responded, quote, “Oh, you don’t even know.  You have no idea.  One day, I’ll live to tell the story.”