Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman hinted about his colon cancer battle in a 2017 interview.
The 43-year-old actor died Friday, Aug. 28, after privately dealing with the deadly disease for four years. His family confirmed his death in an official statement on social media. Fans, friends, and followers alike replied to say they didn’t know Chadwick Boseman was not in good health.
But the superstar alluded to his diseases in 2017 after a reporter asked how he could “bulk up, slim down and then bulk up again” in between his movies. Matthew Jacobs shared parts of that interview for the Huffington Post in his Twitter account.
“You’ve been through the wringer,” the reporter told Boseman, referring to his physical changes. “You have no idea,” Boseman said. “One day I’ll live to tell the story.”
I interviewed Chadwick Boseman in 2017, and to think he was going through cancer while satisfying the physical demands of a Marvel movie…https://t.co/MAB1ZYdcGS pic.twitter.com/eLdear66IU
— Matt Jacobs (@majacobs) August 29, 2020
Working while receiving cancer treatment
Stars and fans have been pouring tributes for the Black Panther star, who gained worldwide fame as T’Challa, the King of Wakanda, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). His film became the highest-rated Marvel movie and earned several major Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. It’s the very first superhero movie to land such an honor.
What many people didn’t know, however, was Boseman had been months into cancer treatments when he filmed Black Panther. He also had surgery and chemotherapy when he was working on Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and his other movies like Marshall and 21 Bridges.
While promoting Black Panther, Boseman broke down in front of the press after talking about two kids with cancer. He has been visiting these kids, but they passed away before the film finished.
https://youtu.be/RJXQQLfQtdM
Surprised fans with a video in lockdown
At the height of the lockdown in April 2020, Chadwick Boseman posted a video on social media to commemorate Jackie Robinson Day on April 15. Ironically, due to COVID-19, this opening celebration for Major League Baseball had been pushed April 28, the day the actor died.
In Boseman’s video, the actor announced his collaboration with FIGS and ex-Legendary Entertainment CEO Thomas Tull to donate medical gear to vulnerable Black communities in honor of Jackie Robinson.
However, his followers could not help but comment on his thin frame. Some assumed he dropped weight for a role in an upcoming movie, while others said that the actor was naturally thin. Boseman eventually deleted the video after speculations about his health grew and cited his privacy.
Meanwhile, Marvel boss Kevin Feige said issued a statement about Boseman’s death as fans do not want another actor as T’Challa for Black Panther 2.
“Chadwick Boseman’s passing is absolutely devastating. He was our T’Challa, our Black Panther, and our dear friend,” Feige said in part. “The Marvel Studios family deeply mourns his loss, and we are grieving tonight with his family.”
Image used courtesy of Marvel Studios/YouTube