'Black Panther' Star Chadwick Boseman Loses Battle With Cancer, Dies at 43

By M.G. Alison. Aug 29 2020, 01:02 AM EDT

"Black Panther" star Chadwick Boseman has lost his battle with cancer and died at just the age of 43, his family announced in a statement on August 29.

The statement was posted on Boseman's social media account. Boseman is best known for bringing to life King T'Challa aka Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

According to his family's statement, Boseman passed away at his home in Los Angeles surrounded by his wife and family, said a report on The Washington Post.

His death has come as a shock to most as the actor had never made an announcement of his diagnosis to the public.

His family's statement said that the actor was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer four years ago. This, however, did not stop Boseman from acting in movies even when the cancer progressed to stage 4.

The statement also revealed that much like his character Black Panther, Boseman was a true fighter as he continued to shoot movies in between bouts of countless chemotherapy and surgeries.

Among these movies were "Marshall," "Da 5 Bloods," "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" and many more, as reported by the BBC.

His family also said that bringing to life King T'Challa was the honor of Boseman's career.

Boseman's Movies

Boseman appeared in five MCU movies including the titular "Black Panther" in 2018 that also popularized the "Wakanda Forever" salute worldwide.

The blockbuster movie earned the distinction as the first superhero movie to get an Oscar nomination for best picture.

Boseman's first MCU movie was "Captain America: Civil War" followed by the "Black Panther," "Spider-Man: Homecoming," "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame."

According to CBC, Boseman's death happened on the same day that the Major League Baseball (MLB) celebrated the Jackie Robinson Day.

Boseman had played the role of Jackie Robinson in the 2013 film "42."

The MLB has posted a photo of Boseman on its social media account, saying that they are devastated by the actor's death.

The league added that Boseman's film will serve as a vehicle to continue telling the story of Robinson for future generations.

Boseman's other iconic roles were that of NCAAP lawyer Thurgood Marshall in the 2017 film "Marshall" and the Godfather of Soul James Brown in the 2014 "Get on Up."

Boseman's Death Mourned by Colleagues

Boseman was born in South Carolina. After graduating from Howard University, he started playing small roles on the television before he was picked for the role of Jackie Robinson in 2013.

As the news of Boseman's death spread, among those who immediately expressed sadness at his passing was fellow actor Sterling K. Brown, who starred alongside Boseman in the "Black Panther."

Brown said that he was at a loss for words to describe Boseman's passing and wished that he rest in peace. He also thanked the actor for all that he has done while he was still alive, and that he was loved and will be missed.

Fellow Avengers stars Mark Ruffalo, Chris Pratt, Chris Evans, Don Cheadle, and Brie Larson have also expressed their sadness via social media for Boseman's passing.