Wakanda Forever!
ABC will air a commercial free showing of “Black Panther” tonight in tribute to actor Chadwick Boseman, who died Friday after a four year battle with colon cancer. After the screening, there will be a 40 minute special about Chadwick, perhaps a mini documentary of his interviews and social activism.
Disney, which owns Marvel, also owns ABC, so the commercial free part is easy for them. The fact that they’re doing sounds like it comes from chairman Bob Iger, who issued a personal Tweet on Friday after Boseman’s death was announced.
Chadwick’s death has hit hard and deep. He made seven movies in the four years since his diagnosis. No one knew he was ill including Spike Lee, who shot “Da 5 Bloods” with him last year under grueling circumstances. How the actor managed to keep his illness a secret when he was undergoing treatment and must have been quite ill, sick, and in pain, is mind blowing. He really was a King.
Boseman was 43 years old but didn’t start making movies until he was 31 in 2008 with “42” and “Get on Up.” Before that it was all TV roles, and pretty minor. By the grace of God Chadwick transcended obstacles and broke out. He would have been an Oscar winner in this lifetime, and a superstar. I do hope the Academy awards him a posthumous Lifetime award for his sterling group of performances.
