Chadwick Boseman, the star of Black Panther in the Marvel superhero franchise, has died of cancer, his family say.
The news comes as a shock as Boseman had not spoken publicly about his diagnosis. The 43-year-old died at home in Los Angeles with his family by his side.
“A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much,” his family said in the statement.
“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.”
Before blockbusters, Boseman rose to acting prominence playing iconic real-life figures: he portrayed baseball legend Jackie Robinson in 2013’s 42, and soul musician James Brown in 2014’s Get on Up.
However, it will be as the titular Black Panther from the monumental 2018 film that he will be best remembered. Boseman starred as the ruler of Wakanda, a fictional African nation with the most advanced technology on earth.
The film earned critical acclaim but was a bigger commercial success, taking a staggering $1.3 billion US dollars at the worldwide box office. The film also stands as a cultural milestone due to having a dominantly black cast and a black director, Ryan Coogler.
Boseman said last year that the film had changed what it means to be “young, gifted and black”. Black Panther was the first superhero film to get a nomination for best picture at the Oscars.
He also played the same role in other Marvel films Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
Tributes have already begun pouring in for the star, including from actor Mark Ruffalo and director Jordan Peele, who tweeted “This is a crushing blow”.
Remember Chadwick Boseman in ‘Black Panther’:
