CINCINNATI, Ohio — This morning, I woke to the sad news that actor Chadwick Boseman had passed from this world after a four-year battle with colon cancer at the age of 43. Boseman had the honor to play some amazing icons of African-American history including Jackie Robinson in 42 (2013), James Brown in Get On Up (2014) and Thurgood Marshall in Marshall (2017). But he is best known as the Marvel Universe superhero, Black Panther, appearing first in Avengers movies and then in his own feature film in 2018.
When Black Panther hit the big screen, I made a point of seeing it with my dear friend, Tony Hamm. As a fellow actor and sci-fi nerd, Tony and I love to riff on lines from movies and cartoons, always picking up each other’s pop-culture references with hearty laughter. I knew that this movie would resonate with Tony, as a Black man, in a way that it wouldn’t with me. So I wanted to share that energy vicariously. The cinema was packed, not with the usual comic nerds but with a predominantly Black audience cheering with the enthusiasm of a basketball game.
If you’re not familiar, Black Panther is the story of T’Challa, the newly crowned king of a fictional African nation, Wakanda. T’Challa’s royal duties include protecting his people as the superhero, Black Panther. Unlike most African nations -where the vast majority of denizens live in dire poverty- Wakanda is prosperous because an ancient meteorite delivered an extraordinary mineral, Vibranium.
Of course, I had to intellectually analyze the plot holes. How did the Wakandans afford their high-speed magnetic rail system if they don’t sell any of their Vibranium? How has Wakanda avoided the pitfalls of other African nations -which are rich in oil, gold and diamonds- yet remain underdeveloped through corruption and cronyism? Then again, how does Batman take on organized crime and never take a bullet to a vital organ? How does Bruce Banner grow into the Hulk when it’s physically impossible to alter mass? Credible logic might be too much to ask of a superhero action movie.
There’s a scene on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in which people are brought in to talk to a giant poster and express what the Black Panther movie means to them as if they were speaking to Boseman himself. We see Boseman hiding behind a curtain getting choked up, then emerge to greet them. The fans react with surprise and they embrace like old friends. You can watch the clip here .
Black Panther is much more than a fantasy superhero action movie. King T’Challa represents the possible, the heights of nobility that can be reached when we strive toward higher ideals. He is like King David, the shepherd boy who took down a giant and ultimately cast off the oppressive yoke of the Philistines. I’ll leave the historians and theologians to squabble about the Bible’s historical veracity. What is very real is the inspiration provided by the Magen David proudly flown by all who love Israel.
King T’Challa is a fictional character. You won’t find Wakanda in any world atlas nor vibranium in any science book. But the smiles, cheers and eyes lit with inspiration and hope are very real. Farewell, Chadwick Boseman, z”l. Your life was taken far too soon, but your legacy of hope and inspiration will be with us forever.
Amen.
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Eric George Tauber is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts. A foormer resident of San Diego, he now resides in Cincinnati, Ohio. He may be contacted via eric.tauber@sdjewishworld.com
Thanks so much for the tribute. I really enjoyed the Jimmy Fallon clip, too.
Chadwick Boseman made a difference.