Black Panther Streaming Surges After The Death of Chadwick Boseman

The views of Black Panther have increased across streaming platforms, after the unfortunate death of Chadwick Boseman. The Marvel movie shot to the third slot on Amazon’s best-selling movies list. It is in the ‘top five most popular films on Apple and Amazon charts, as of Sunday morning.

The Oscar-winning film is the highest-grossing superhero movie of all time with $700 million in grosses. The views for the superhero film renewed interest among fans after the passing away of Marvel superhero, Chadwick.

The family of Boseman put out a statement after the actor lost his battle with colon cancer. The statement said, “It is with immeasurable grief that we confirm the passing of Chadwick Boseman. Chadwick was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016, and battled with it these last 4 years as it progressed to stage IV.”

They further stated that Chadwick fought like a true hero and persevered through it all. The family named many movies that the actor had been a part of over the years. They revealed that Chadwick was between countless surgeries and chemotherapy while filming Marshall, Da 5 Bloods, and August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

In the statement, they also acknowledged Chadwick’s most beloved and memorable character of playing T’Challa in Captain America: Civil War. He also, later on, went on to get his own Marvel superhero movie, Black Panther. The statement read that playing King T’Challa was the honor of his career. It later noted, “The family thanks you for your love and prayers, and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time.”

Chadwick is survived by his wife Taylor Simone Ledward and a parent and had no children, his publicist said. The actor had kept all of his personal lives under wraps from the public eye. He was rumored to be dating Ledward after being spotted at the red carpet together. However, Chadwick was married and it wasn’t revealed until his death.

The couple was last seen together in February at the 69th NBA All-Star Game in Chicago. Chadwick had sparked concern over his health earlier this year after fans saw his unusually thin appearance. The actor had not spoken publicly about his cancer diagnosis.

He was born in South Carolina and was the son of a nurse and an upholstery entrepreneur. Chadwick graduated from Howard University and had small roles in television before his first-star turn in 2013.

The actor had been known for playing real-life figures, including professional baseball player Jackie Robinson in 2013 biopic, 42, James Brown in 2014’s Get On Up, and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in 2017’s Marshall.

But his most memorable role was his 2018 performance as T’Challa, king of the fictional African kingdom of Wakanda. He was the crime fighter known as Black Panther, in the first major studio superhero movie starring a predominantly Black cast. 

He was honored by fans and friends which also met with shock after his passing away. Many friends from the Marvel cast as well took to Instagram and Twitter to express their condolences and tributes. The MTV Video Music Awards show was dedicated to Chadwick as host Keke Palmer announced at the beginning of the show.

“Before we get into the music tonight, we need to take the time to talk about the devastating loss of Chadwick Boseman, an actor whose talent and passion is a true inspiration to all the fans he touched and everyone he encountered,” the host said.

She continued saying that the show is dedicated to Chadwick, a man whose spirit touched many lives. Keke added, “He is a true hero, not just on-screen but in everything he did. His impact lives forever.”

Letita Wright, T’Challa’s sister, Shuri in Black Panther expressed her grief on social media saying it breaks her heart. Their onscreen mother, Angela Bassett, wrote, “This young man’s dedication was awe-inspiring, his smile contagious, his talent unreal. So I pay tribute to a beautiful spirit, a consummate artist, a soulful brother.”