Chadwick Boseman had already made a huge impact on the world of cinema before his untimely death. After a secret four year battle with colon cancer, Boseman sadly passed away last Friday. He leaves behind an envious filmography, full of critically acclaimed movies and box office hits. Below are a list of Boseman’s ten most memorable peformances.
Captain America: Civil War – Black Panther
This is the film that catapulted Chadwick Boseman into the public eye and made him a recognisable star. Debuting in a film that already featured a huge plotline and dozens of established and loved characters, Boseman slips into the Marvel family without hesitation, bringing a sense of nobility and depth to the character of the Wakandan prince.
42 – Jackie Robinson
Although the role of T’Challa cemented Boseman as a Hollywood figure, the sports film 42 is the first that truly got to showcase his talent and potential. Boseman portrays baseball legend Jackie Robinson in this sports biopic. Robinson made history by becoming the first player to break segregation by signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers
21 Bridges – Andre Davis
In a play against type, Boseman is NYPD officer Andre Davis, a lone wolf on the force who seems focused on revenge more than he does justice. What starts as a simple heist gone wrong, 21 Bridges divulges into a chase movie that slowly hints at much larger things going on.
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Black Panther – Black Panther
It’s going to be hard for anyone to forget Boseman’s portrayal of Black Panther. With this 2018 solo outing, Boseman was able to successfully build and expand on his performance from Civil War. Boseman and director Ryan Coogler arguably created one of the most loved blockbusters of the decade and set a precedent for superhero movies.
Message From The King – Jacob King
A revenge thriller that serves as a genre piece and a throwback to 80s classics, Message from the King sees Boseman play a man who travels to America to help his sister, who is in trouble with gangsters. However, he is too late and finds her dead when he arrives. Backed by a good cast of baddies, including Luke Evans and Alfred Molina, the rest of the film follows Boseman on a dedicated rampage in order to assert vengeance over the death of his sister.
Draft Day – Vontae Mack
Although Boseman doesn’t have quite a huge part in this film, he hones in his skills and makes the most of his role. With clear and undeniable screen presence, Boseman works alongside Kevin Costner in this sports comedy drama.
Avengers: Infinity War – Black Panther
Ever since the first, and long awaited, trailer for Avengers: Infinity War dropped, it became very clear that Wakanda was going to play a huge role. It was welcome to be back in the city of T’Challa so soon and very exciting to see Black Panther take a well deserved spot amongst the Avengers for the final battle.
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Da 5 Bloods – Stormin Norman
Although Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods focuses mainly on a group of Vietnam vets in the modern day, Boseman plays a member of their friendship group – Stormin Norman – in multiple flashback sequences and essentially drives the main plot. Norman’s unfortunate death spurs the group to return to Vietnam and search for the gold that Norman had buried to dig up after the war. Boseman’s Norman is a constant presence, even offscreen, which is a testament to his acting skills.
Get On Up – James Brown
Boseman is no stranger to playing real life figures from history. In Get On Up, he portrays singer James Brown, one of the original singers of funk music. Boseman’s performance was critically acclaimed and many believed he was a shoo-in for a Best Actor nomination at the Oscars. However, this was the year much black talent was seemingly dismissed by the Academy, sparking the #OscarsSoWhite campaign, which eventually led to changes within the Academy itself.
Avengers: Endgame – Black Panther
Avengers: Endgame is undoubtedly an icon in cinema history. Beyond being the highest grossing film of all time, it successfully concluded a series that consisted of over twenty movies and featured one of the largest casts of Hollywood superstars ever assembled. So, it’s important to note that even within all this, that one of the film’s most loved moments and certainly most applauded is when Chadwick Boseman, aka Black Panther becomes the first hero to step out from the portal, to join in the final battle.
