CHADWICK BOSEMAN

At last Black people had a super hero of their own. Chadwick Boseman, who died way too young at 43,  burst into stardom with three appearances as the Black Panther. Beginning with Captain America: Civil War (2016) where he was a trusted ally of the title hero, and continuing into a couple of Avengers outings in 2018 and 2019 Boseman was everything a hero should be.

But his real coming out party was the earlier Black Panther (2018) in which he brought T’Challa to full iconism. This film, though modeled on the super hero flicks about White people, makes its own path. T’Challa becomes ruler of Wakanda on the death of his father and strives to keep to the successful path his forbears forged. He is challenged by cousin N’Jadaka (Michael B. Jordan) who wants Wakanda to expand its outreach and become a world power. They battle to determine who will be king. The film was nominated as Best Picture, and though it lost to The Shape Of Water,  it still garnered three production Oscars. A sequel is in the works but obviously won’t feature Boseman.

But it’s not as if that is the limit of Boseman’s resume`. He had a sterling run-up to the Black Panther films. These began in 2013 when Boseman appeared in 42 as Jackie Robinson, who integrated baseball in 1947. He encountered discrimination and outright hatred, but he was such a great player he endured. And not only is he in the Hall of Fame but his number is worn by every single major league player on April 15 (August 28 this year). It’s not an easy role, but Boseman is superb as Jackie. 

The very next year Chadwick Boseman played The Godfather of Soul, James Brown, in Get On Up. Boseman rose to the challenge of doing his own dancing and singing much to the delight of even hard core James Brown fans.

Boseman’s third portrayal of an African-American hero came in 2017 when he nailed the title role in Marshall. Thurgood Marshall was a terrific lawyer and became the first Black justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. The film dwells mostly with Marhsall’s early career as a civil rights attorney and in particular with his defense of Joseph Spell, an African-American accused of rape in Connecticut. Forbidden by the White judge to speak, Marshall has to guide his co-counsel by notes and whispered instructions. 

Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods (2020) features Chadwick Boseman as Stormin’ Norman, leader of an all-Black platoon in Viet Nam. They find a stash of gold bars intended for Vietnamese allies and decide to keep it. They bury it, intending to come back for it later. They do come back later, much later, after they are all over 70.

All of the films in this article are available on DVD. All but the last one are suitable for mature kids.