Chadwick Boseman, surprisingly, succumbed to colon cancer on Saturday, Aug. 29. He was 43. Nobody knew the actor underwent a series of surgeries and chemotherapy treatments but still managed to film seven iconic movies. So, what films Boseman did while secretly fighting for his life?
Boseman was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer in 2016. According to WebMD, the disease had already grown through the colon wall at the time. However, it progressed to a more severe level when it reached stage four, which meant it already spread beyond his colon. During this time, he still made some of the most iconic movies, from his trademark film of Black Panther to two Avenger movies.
Marshall
Boseman had been known for portraying the roles of some of the known historical figures. After bringing to life the baseball legend Jackie Robinson in 42, he did Marshall in 2017, playing as Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.
The film followed Marshall's life as a young lawyer who handled the "biggest cases of his career." Boseman led the movie, along with Sterling K. Brown, Kate Hudson, and Josh Gad, Us Weekly noted.
Black Panther
Who would ever forget Boseman as King T'Challa or the Black Panther? He perfectly portrayed the king and protector of the fictional African world of Wakanda -- the first-ever Black superhero -- in 2018.
Boseman seemed to break the norm by doing a film mostly featured Black casts. According to the Guardian, it went critically acclaimed and experienced commercial success as people were getting more conscious today.
Avengers: Infinity War
Of course, as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he joined the Avengers and did Avengers: Infinity War in 2018. He reprised his role as the Black Panther, which was shot simultaneously with his own Black Panther movie.
The two films were released only two months apart, which meant it was a rigorous work for Boseman. But he did.
Avengers: Endgame
Fans, once again, saw Boseman as the Black Panther in the last Avengers film, the Avengers: Endgame. With the combination of the industry's biggest names, from Robert Downey Jr. to Benedict Cumberbatch, it became the highest-grossing movie of all time, with $2.8 billion earnings worldwide.
Boseman did this in 2019, which is three years after his diagnosis and continued treatments.
21 Bridges
In the same year, he did 21 Bridges, playing the role of NYPD detective Andre Davis. The action-thriller film saw Boseman chasing two cop killers and discovering a conspiracy.
Boseman worked alongside Sienna Miller, Keith David, and J. K. Simmons for the movie and promoted it on Instagram.
Da 5 Bloods
Boseman's latest offering was the movie about the four Black veterans, Da 5 Bloods. The film followed Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, and Isiah Whitlock Jr.'s effort to find their fallen Squad Leader, played by Boseman.
Directed by Spike Lee, the film was released on Netflix in June, when the Black Lives Matters movement was rampant.
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Boseman's final movie was another Netflix film, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. Here, Boseman played the trumpet player Levee, who would go against Ma Rainey, played by Viola Davis.
Based on the 1982 play by August Wilson, it would tell the story of the late Mother of Blues, Ma Rainey. Davis celebrated the life of Boseman, saying nothing but praises about his talent and personality.
