By Muri Assunção
New York Daily News
The unexpected death of actor Chadwick Boseman is sending shockwaves through social media platforms as fans and stars pay tribute to the “Black Panther” star.
The 43-year-old actor died Friday after a four-year battle with colon cancer. According to an official statement shared on Twitter, Boseman was first diagnosed in 2016, and still went on to work on a number of films “during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy.”
Among his Hollywood peers, a number of fellow stars, studio executives or simply admirers of his work flooded social media channels with messages of tribute to the NAACP Image Award-winning actor.
“What a gentle gifted SOUL,” Oprah Winfrey tweeted. “Showing us all that Greatness in between surgeries and chemo. The courage, the strength, the Power it takes to do that. This is what Dignity looks like.”
“This young man’s dedication was awe-inspiring, his smile contagious, his talent unreal. So I pay tribute to a beautiful spirit, a consummate artist, a soulful brother … ‘thou aren’t not dead but flown afar … .’ All you possessed, Chadwick, you freely gave. Rest now, sweet prince,” Angela Basset wrote on Instagram.
Actor Mark Ruffalo linked Boseman’s death to the unprecedented year of losses. “All I have to say is the tragedies amassing this year have only been made more profound by the loss of #ChadwickBoseman. What a man, and what an immense talent. Brother, you were one of the all time greats and your greatness was only beginning. Lord love ya. Rest in power, King,” he tweeted.
Chris Evans, who plays Captain America, said he was “absolutely devastated” at the death of his friend and “Avengers” co-star.
“This is beyond heartbreaking,” Evans wrote. “Chadwick was special. A true original. He was a deeply committed and constantly curious artist. He had so much amazing work still left to create. I’m endlessly grateful for our friendship. Rest in power, King.”
Halle Berry celebrated the life of “an incredible man with immeasurable talent, who leaned into life regardless of his personal battles. You never truly know what the people around you might be going through —treat them with kindness and cherish every minute you have together. RIP #ChadwickBoseman,” she tweeted.
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said in a statement that “Chadwick’s passing is absolutely devastating. He was our T’Challa, our Black Panther, and our dear friend. Each time he stepped on set, he radiated charisma and joy, and each time he appeared on screen, he created something truly indelible. He embodied a lot of amazing people in his work, and nobody was better at bringing great men to life. He was as smart and kind and powerful and strong as any person he portrayed. Now he takes his place alongside them as an icon for the ages. The Marvel Studios family deeply mourns his loss, and we are grieving tonight with his family,” he said.
Bob Iger, the chairman of Marvel’s parent company, Walt Disney Co., echoed those thoughts.
“We are all heartbroken by the tragic loss of Chadwick Boseman —an extraordinary talent, and one of the most gentle and giving souls I have ever met,” Iger said. “He brought enormous strength, dignity and depth to his groundbreaking role of Black Panther; shattering myths and stereotypes, becoming a long-awaited hero to millions around the world, and inspiring us all to dream bigger and demand more than the status quo. We mourn all that he was, as well as everything he was destined to become. For his friends and millions of fans, his absence from the screen is only eclipsed by his absence from our lives. All of us at Disney send our prayers and heartfelt condolences to his family.”
