Chadwick Boseman

Chadwick Boseman Chadwick Boseman was an actor of tremendous dignity and power whose portrayal of T'Challa / Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe made him a global symbol of Black excellence and pride. Born in Anderson, South Carolina, he built his career playing real-life Black icons — Jackie Robinson in '42' (2013), James Brown in 'Get on Up' (2014), and Thurgood Marshall in 'Marshall' (2017) — before 'Black Panther' (2018) became a cultural phenomenon and the first superhero film nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. He filmed all his Marvel appearances after a private diagnosis of colon cancer in 2016, dying at age 43; the Academy honored him with a posthumous nomination for Best Actor for 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' (2020).