In early 2018 when “Black Panther” was released, there was a moment that happened that today almost seems unimaginable: Americans of all backgrounds and political beliefs came together to experience and celebrate what would become a cultural phenomenon.
Moviegoers Black and White, Republican and Democrat, young and old, came together to watch an amazing work of art that most of us knew would -- along with its star -- become instantly iconic.
Sadly, just two and a half years later, its star Chadwick Boseman succumbed to colon cancer, becoming iconic in a heartbreaking way: a superior talent robbed of his life and the ability to share his gifts with the world far too young by a devastating and all-too-familiar foe even a superhero couldn’t defeat.
CHADWICK BOSEMAN'S 'BLACK PANTHER' DIRECTOR RYAN COOGLER PENS TRIBUTE TO LATE ACTOR
Boseman would have always been remembered for “Black Panther” no matter what, but before and after “Black Panther” he provided us with a series of diverse portrayals of American heroes that displayed the depth of his talent.
Actor Chadwick Boseman attends the REVOLT and AT&T Summit on October 27, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Amanda Edwards/Getty Images)
Perhaps they should be a major part of his legacy, too. Most actors rarely get the opportunity to play one American icon, let alone three, but that is exactly what Boseman did -- playing Jackie Robinson, Thurgood Marshall, and James Brown all before he turned 40.
Boseman’s performance as the legendary James Brown in 2014’s “Get On Up” is something completely different: charismatic, physical, and funny. To embody James Brown is no small task, but Boseman fully rises to the occasion with his take on the rock-and-roll icon.
The impact of Boseman’s commitment to playing American heroes so that a new generation can discover them is immeasurable, and these performances will live forever.
In 2017’s “Marshall” he embodies Thurgood Marshall not as the first African-American Supreme Court justice -- but the young man who would become him, embarking on one of the first cases of his career as he defends a black man falsely accused of assaulting a white woman in 1940. Again, Boseman is solid. Dependable. Intense.
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But perhaps the best of his American Hero performances was his first, in 2013’s “42,” where he played Jackie Robinson, the first Black baseball player to play in Major League Baseball.
The film itself is...fine. It’s a perfectly serviceable movie that falls into the all too familiar tropes of biopics and lacks the subtlety and nuance to hit anywhere deeper than the most basic portrayals of the kind of racism that Robinson faced in his quest to break barriers.
Yet Boseman’s performance did have subtlety and nuance. More importantly (and interestingly), the performance included a form of rage tightly coiled beneath the surface of Robinson’s mostly stoic response to the racial hatred he endured.
The film only allows Robinson to succumb to his anger briefly, but it’s a running theme of Boseman’s portrayal and adds an intriguing layer to a standard biopic.
A true superstar not only meets the material, he transcends it.
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It’s not sacrilege to say that none of these movies are as good as Boseman is in them, so perhaps it’s fitting that “Black Panther”, the lone film which meets his immense talent -- will be the one he is most remembered for.
Though “Black Panther” takes place in the fictional African country of Wakanda, to the eyes of the boys and men who saw Boseman’s T’Challa embody strength, physicality, and the vulnerability that comes with the weight of the world on his shoulders, he’s a hero for the ages.
That hero wasn’t exactly American and is definitely fictional, but perhaps it’s OK to add him to the list of Boseman’s portrayal of American heroes.
He represents the best of us: young boys and men trying to do good in a world that more often rewards the bad. Young boys and men who see masculinity as a virtue, not a shortcoming.
T’Challa may not be real but the importance of “Black Panther” definitely is.
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Perhaps Boseman knew “Black Panther” was coming someday, and he knew that if he played enough real American heroes, he could inspire enough people to look back through his filmography and learn their stories once he got his big opportunity to play a fictional one.
The impact of Boseman’s commitment to playing American heroes so that a new generation can discover them is immeasurable, and these performances will live forever. Jackie Robinson, Thurgood Marshall, and James Brown would approve.