Chadwick Boseman, known for playing James Brown, Jackie Robinson, and the star of the groundbreaking superhero movie Black Panther, passed away on Friday from colon cancer. The highly sought-after lead actor was only 43-years-old.
Boseman’s publicist confirmed that his wife, Taylor Simone Ledward, and family members were by his bedside at the time of his death. The up-and-coming actor found out that he had Stage 3 colon cancer back in 2016, and it had since advanced to stage 4.
“A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much,” a statement released by his publicist said. “From ‘Marshall’ to ‘Da 5 Bloods,’ August Wilson’s ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ and several more, all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy.”
The tweet announcing his death has become Twitter’s most-liked tweet of all time, currently sitting at over 7 million. The social media company’s account announced the news in its official feed.
But while the secular world may be celebrating the many standout roles Chadwick portrayed on the big screen, the Christian world is left with a much more eternally-minded reason to reflect on the inspirational star.
Though his early passing is a total tragedy, we can take comfort in knowing that his salvation was in Jesus Christ.
Chadwick was certainly not shy about sharing his faith and giving credit to God for his successes.
After the actor played Jackie Robinson in the 2013 film “42,” Chadwick talked about the importance of Robinson’s faith, a man who commonly used the phrase, “God Built Me to Last.”
“God Built Me To Last” #RIP #chadwickboseman #WakandaForever pic.twitter.com/viMw9tV60A
— James LaPorta (@JimLaPorta) August 29, 2020
“I think Jackie Robinson’s religion — his spirituality — is what helped him to endure this. There is no doubt about it. Because he believed in God, he believed that there was certain providence [in his life] in him being chosen, in the timing … many are called, but few are chosen,” he told Risen Magazine
Referencing Galatians 5:22-23, “One of the fruits of the [Holy] Spirit is self-control,” Chadwick added.