Huge loss both for cinema and black culture

CHADWICK Boseman’s death at the age of 43 feels incomprehensible.

Although there are only ten movies in his filmography, it was clear he was already one of the most important actors of his generation. His loss is not just one for cinema, but to black culture.

It had almost become a joke that when there was an important black male figure getting the big screen treatment, Boseman was the man you called.

The dignity, good-heartedness and grace that Boseman so naturally radiated was perfect for icons such as Jackie Robinson, James Brown and Thurgood Marshall, and his performances were the best aspect of those movies.

No role Boseman played was more worthy of iconic status than T’challa, aka Black Panther. From the moment the camera first pans up to him in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, it’s clear he was the perfect choice to portray the Warrior King of Wakanda, a fictional African nation untouched by colonialism.

There’s a regal quality he brings every moment he’s on screen. That cool, calm and composed presence was exactly what was needed for T’challa, a king who strived to do what was right, not easy.

It is not an overstatement to say that Boseman’s portrayal of that character helped change the world.

The build-up to Black Panther was a cultural moment for the ages.

Celebrities hired out cinemas so that the less privileged got a chance to see it.

This is to say nothing of the film itself, which went on to become Marvel’s first to win Oscars. It’s all the more impressive now we know Boseman had cancer.

Through the demands of Marvel films, other movies, press tours and red carpets, he carried himself with the same dignity he put into all his roles. He’s left a legacy that won’t

soon be forgotten.