They say the measure of a man can be measured by the lives he has touched. Seeing the outpouring of love and grief in response to Chadwick Boseman’s passing at the age of 43, it is easy to say that his legacy is immeasurable. Words like kind, giving and gentle were just a few poignant words to describe the man. The first time I saw Boseman on the big screen was in 42 in 2013 playing the great Jackie Robinson. To say he was great in the role would be an understatement. Boseman had made a career of portraying greatness, both real and fictional. Playing trailblazers like Robinson and later Thurgood Marshall in the film Marshall in 2017 was just the tip of the iceberg. But it will be the role of King T’Challa in 2018’s Black Panther that would cement his legacy.
Superhero movies are often maligned because of the source material. Even award winning directors like Martin Scorsese have a narrow-minded view of the genre. Thankfully such men are in the minority. When Black Panther hit theaters, it changed the landscape of what or who a superhero is. The world of superheroes became colorblind. Make no mistake though, yes it became color blind but at the same time, it became a celebration of African culture. This would be best expressed by the rally cry of Wakanda Forever! Even though the character appeared in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War to rave reviews, it would be Black Panther that took industry to another level.
Black Panther had a box office take of over 1.3 billion dollars shattering records of any film type in the process. It garnered seven Academy Award nominations including Best Picture. It would end up taking home three Oscars. There isn’t much more I can say that hasn’t already been said best by the people who knew him or worked with him. All I could add is what a pleasure it was to watch this budding young star shine so brightly.
As I reflect back, it is both ironic and fitting that my review of 42 was my forty-second article at the time. Since then, I’ve written nearly 500 articles. To this day, writing about Boseman and his outstanding performance in 42 still ranks as one of my favorites. Long live the King! Rest in Power!
May the Dork be with you,
JPB
The Dork Knight
