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.
US actor Chadwick Boseman arrives for the world premiere of ‘The Black Godfather’ at the Paramount Theater in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA, 03 June 2019.. EPA-EFE/NINA PROMMER
The announcement will come as a shock to many as Boseman never discussed his 2016 diagnosis publicly.
“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.”
Textile conservator Emma Schmitt keeps close watch over the newly acquired Black Panther hero costume at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC, USA. The suit worn by Chadwick Boseman in the 2018 film, is made of flexible 3-D printed materials and was donated to the museum by Marvel Studios and The Walt Disney Company. EPA-EFE/ERIK S. LESSER
Boseman first came to prominence playing real-life figures – baseball great Jackie Robinson in 2013’s 42, and musician James Brown in 2014’s Get on Up.
However, it will be as the titular Black Panther in the blockbuster 2018 film he will be best remembered.
Boseman stars as the ruler of Wakanda, a fictional African nation with the most advanced technology on earth.
Boseman, a native of South Carolina, passed away at his home, with his wife and family at his side, the statement said, without specifying when he died. He resided in Los Angeles.
