Do You Want to Live Forever?

I thought Black Panther was going to SUCK.

Marvel Studios had been cranking out hit after hit, solidifying their dominance in the box office to the point where breaking the $1-billion threshold became routine.

So when the first trailers announced the film would release on February—one of the softer months for theatres—I scoffed and went about my day, convinced this would be Disney’s first bomb and that the Mouse would have to reveal he was indeed not infalliable.

Today, I’m glad to admit how very wrong I was.

Black Panther came out in 2018 and became a cultural icon. It helped that its star, Chadwick Boseman, was already introduced to the world two years prior through his appearance in Captain America: Civil War.

The stage was intricately set for Boseman to take centre stage and uproot the facile, cookie-cutter narrative of most of the MCU’s content, instead opting for a more politically-charged approach. It was stylish, it was cool, it was actually quite funny (remember “WHAT ARE THOSE???”).

But it also didn’t shy away from heavier hitting subject matter such as race and the sacrifices of wearing the crown.

To many in Black America, Black Panther wasn’t just a comic book superhero. He was a real-life champion of the African race. And all fans, young and old, were eager to get and see more of what he had to offer.

Then, on August 28, 2020, the news dropped that shocked the world: Chadwick Boseman had died.

Even more alarming: Boseman had died of colon cancer. It was a battle he valiantly (and silently) fought for 4 years.

I want to impress upon you the magnitude of that revelation.

Chadwick Boseman was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2016. That means the man played Black Panther, starred in his own MCU film as well as several other high-profile movies, all while fighting for his life.

Strong does not even come close to describing the resolve this man had to endure so much.

I don’t want to discuss the guilt many felt with making fun of Boseman on social media after he revealed his startling weight loss during quarantine.

I also don’t care to speculate on why Boseman chose to keep his diagnosis hidden from the world until his untimely demise.

I also most definitely DO NOT want to theorize what will happen to the role of Black Panther or its sequel. There’s a time and a place for that – I’m looking at you, SCREEN RANT.

What I would like to touch upon is the impact Chadwick Boseman made on the world in such a short span of time.

It’s true: Boseman had been in Hollywood for several years before making it big. But it can not be overstated how he had taken his role as T’Challa and made it into something that transcended movie or comic book fandom.

The character of Black Panther was many things to many people. It was a symbol of hope in a world where hope was shattered when Donald Trump became president.

It was a symbol of pride in a nation which denigrates and devalues Black people constantly (btw: Arrest the cops that killed Breonna Taylor).

In the span of a few years, Boseman had accomplished what many spend their whole lives reaching for and failing.

I believe in the concept of immortality. I believe Boseman achieved that the moment he donned the mask of The Black Panther.

Perhaps that is why he chose to stay in the limelight rather than recoil away when things looked dire. And for that reason I believe both Boseman and the Black Panther are a symbol of utmost respect.

Writers and other creatives should take heed of the legacy left behind by Chadwick Bosman. They should also take stock of the sacrifice he was willing to take to make his mark on the world.

Heavy is the head that wears the crown.

How much are you willing to lose for a chance to live forever?

RIP Chadwick Boseman

1976-2020