Chadwick Boseman birth anniversary: When ‘Black Panther’ star said, ‘I’m dead’ on his future at MCU

Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman's works will be remembered forever as we celebrate him on his birth anniversary today.

Photo Courtesy : Twitter

Washington: Late Hollywood star Chadwick Boseman, who was born on November 29, 1976, was an actor whose iconic on-screen body of work will be remembered for years to come. The actor had perfectly embodied the character of Wakandan King T`challa and his alter ego Black Panther in the Marvel franchise films prior to his death on August 28, 2020, following a secret four-year battle with colon cancer. 

To honour Boseman`s demise, the death of his character was also incorporated into the MCU and was addressed in `Wakanda Forever`. However, what`s emotional is that even while the world remained unaware of his ailment, the actor had once spoken about him dying during a red-carpet event. 

Black Panther was one of many characters (half the MCU`s population, to be exact) killed by Thanos in `Avengers: Infinity War`, and ahead of `Avengers: Endgame` release, Boseman was asked about his future with Marvel. He simply said, "I`m dead," according to Mashable. 

"So you don`t want to give us a spoiler or anything like that?" the interviewer continued, to which he again reminded her, "I`m dead." She further asked him if there was anything he could tell fans about a potential `Black Panther` sequel, and Boseman echoed, "I`m dead." 

He repeated it so many times that it shook viewers a little, and even the interviewer explained, "Noooo. We`re not ready for you to be dead, Chadwick," as per Mashable. 

At that time because fans weren`t aware of his illness, several people created memes out of this as they found it relatable. But, over time, this interview has become chilling. Boseman`s impact is still deeply ingrained in popular culture. His breakthrough performance in `Black Panther` made that movie the first superhero movie to be nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards. His other film credits include, `Get on Up`, `Marshal`, `42` and `Ma Rainey`s Black Bottom` among others.