Farewell King. Wakanda lives forever in our hearts

A hero has left us today. 

Chadwick Boseman, the actor who touched the lives of countless Black Panther fans with his stunning portrayal of the righteous superhero ruling magical land of Wakanda, bid us farewell forever. He was 43. Boseman was fighting colon cancer for the last four years. He continued to battle the malignant disease in real life while fighting off evil forces on screen in blockbuster films that echoed beyond the boundaries of Hollywood and resonated in the hearts of cinegoers throughout the world. 

Chadwick went about shooting for some of the most memorable films, including those from the Marvel stable of superheroes, that portrayed him as the fabled King T’Challa of Wakanda while undergoing treatment for Stage 4 cancer. He never disclosed his devastating ailment to his friends or colleagues on the sets who went about their usual lives after the cameras died with the lights every day at the studios. During this time, he went on to gift us Captain America: Civil War, Marshall, Black Panther, and the two-part epic Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers; Endgame. All this while, he was locked in a terrible battle with cancer and was undergoing countless chemo sessions in the hospital before returning to the sets to continue to play his part in films. His endurance in the face of his life-threatening crisis truly makes him the strongest of all avengers. 

Actor Mark Ruffalo who plays his Hulkian colleague from Avengers series tweeted a heartbreaking farewell in his memoriam. “All I have to say is the tragedies amassing this year have only been made more profound by the loss of #ChadwickBoseman. What a man, and what an immense talent. Brother, you were one of the all time greats and your greatness was only beginning. Lord love ya. Rest in power, King,” he wrote on his wall. 

A statement posted by his family on his twitter spoke about the “immeasurable loss” in his passing away. It also revealed how his cancer had progressed from Stage 3 to Stage 4 since he was first diagnosed with it in 2016. “A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much,” the statement read, acknowledging, “It was the honour of his career to bring King T’Challa to life in Black Panther.” 

Black Panther was the first superhero film to be offered a nomination at the Oscars. Every superhero film until its release, however successful and in spite of trailblazing innovations in technology, was denied a seat at the high table of great films. The official Black Panther site joined in the mourning with this devastating admission, “Our hearts are broken”.  

King passed away at his Los Angeles home with his wife and family by his side. His Wakanda Forever salute has since picked up as a trend in a blazing tribute to his contribution to the cinematic verse and true grit. In the penultimate scene in Avengers: Infinity Wars when our favourite superheroes whom we grew up with as our saviours are returning to dust, King lends a hand to his fierce warrior from Wakanda who is down fighting the wrath of evil Thanos with these parting words, “this is no place to die.” He returns to dust even as his hand remains suspended in air, slowly crumbling into dust in front of his loyal warrior whom he was attempting to save. In his departure, the words resonate in the eulogy of his untimely endgame. 

Most heroes are legendary because of their on screen imprint that lives with us long after the film has ebbed out and the actor has receded from the limelight into the shadows. Chadwick Brosnan has shown us what it truly is to be a hero outside of the green screen and make-believe sets.