The world has been paying tribute to Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman since his shocking and unexpected passing at the age of 43, with the internet being flooded by fans, co-stars, previous collaborators and fellow industry professionals paying their respects to one of Hollywood’s fastest-rising talents.
The actor’s career-defining role in the Best Picture-nominated blockbuster has already been broadcast on several TV channels to allow audiences to revisit the performance that turned T’Challa into a cultural icon, and Black Panther is also experiencing a massive surge in VOD sales as fans struggle to come to terms with the leading man losing a privately-fought battle against colon cancer.
Ryan Coogler’s monumental blockbuster is currently the second best-selling title on Amazon behind only long-awaited sequel Bill & Ted Face the Music, while it occupies fourth position on Apple’s chart. It isn’t just Black Panther that Boseman’s fans are desperate to watch again, though, with 42, which features arguably the greatest performance of his career, sitting as Apple’s second most popular movie.
ABC and Marvel Studios also screened the hour-long special Chadwick Boseman – A Tribute to a King last night that saw his friends and colleagues from the Marvel Cinematic Universe celebrate his life and career. Black Panther has risen to become one of the most-watched titles on Disney Plus, too, and takes pride of place on the streaming service’s homepage with a message dedicated to the memory of the man behind the mask.
It will be some time before Hollywood recovers from the tragic death of Chadwick Boseman, who was taken at a time when he should be, and was, producing the best work of his career. Of course, Black Panther will always be the role he’s most closely associated with, and viewers have made the unanimous decision to journey back to Wakanda to honor the king.