Chadwick Boseman Dies: 'Black Panther,' Marvel Stars React

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Ryan Coogler

The Black Panther director and cowriter paid tribute to Boseman in a lengthy statement to Deadline on August 30. He wrote that before he signed on to direct the film, he saw the actor's performance as T'Challa in an unfinished cut of Captain America: Civil War. Seeing Boseman talking on screen in Xhosa with John Kani, who played his father, King T'Chaka, became the "moment I knew I wanted to make this movie." Coogler explained that Boseman had learned the South African actor's native language on the spot for the scene and had "advocated for his character to speak with an African accent, so that he could present T'Challa to audiences as an African king, whose dialect had not been conquered by the West."

Coogler then remembered meeting Boseman in person in early 2016 at a press junket. "I noticed then that Chad was an anomaly," he wrote. "He was calm. Assured. Constantly studying. But also kind, comforting, had the warmest laugh in the world, and eyes that seen much beyond his years, but could still sparkle like a child seeing something for the first time."

"He was a special person," Coogler continued. "We would often speak about heritage and what it means to be African. When preparing for the film, he would ponder every decision, every choice, not just for how it would reflect on himself, but how those choices could reverberate. 'They not ready for this, what we are doing…' 'This is Star Wars, this is Lord of the Rings, but for us … and bigger!' He would say this to me while we were struggling to finish a dramatic scene, stretching into double overtime. Or while he was covered in body paint, doing his own stunts. Or crashing into frigid water, and foam landing pads. I would nod and smile, but I didn't believe him. I had no idea if the film would work. I wasn't sure I knew what I was doing. But I look back and realize that Chad knew something we all didn't. He was playing the long game. All while putting in the work. And work he did."

The director added that Boseman came to auditions for supporting roles, something lead actors in big-budget films don't usually do. "In Winston Duke's [audition for M'Baku], he turned a chemistry read into a wrestling match. Winston broke his bracelet. In Letitia Wright's audition for Shuri, she pierced his royal poise with her signature humor, and would bring about a smile to T'Challa's face that was 100 percent Chad."

Coogler revealed that he didn't know Boseman was battling colon cancer.

"Chad deeply valued his privacy, and I wasn't privy to the details of his illness," he explained. "After his family released their statement, I realized that he was living with his illness the entire time I knew him. Because he was a caretaker, a leader, and a man of faith, dignity and pride, he shielded his collaborators from his suffering. He lived a beautiful life. And he made great art. Day after day, year after year. That was who he was. He was an epic firework display. I will tell stories about being there for some of the brilliant sparks till the end of my days. What an incredible mark he's left for us."

"I haven't grieved a loss this acute before," Coogler continued. "I spent the last year preparing, imagining and writing words for him to say, that we weren't destined to see. It leaves me broken knowing that I won't be able to watch another close-up of him in the monitor again or walk up to him and ask for another take."

"It hurts more to know that we can't have another conversation, or Facetime, or text message exchange," he wrote. "He would send vegetarian recipes and eating regimens for my family and me to follow during the pandemic. He would check in on me and my loved ones, even as he dealt with the scourge of cancer."

"In African cultures we often refer to loved ones that have passed on as ancestors. Sometimes you are genetically related. Sometimes you are not," Coogler concluded. "I had the privilege of directing scenes of Chad's character, T'Challa, communicating with the ancestors of Wakanda. We were in Atlanta, in an abandoned warehouse, with bluescreens, and massive movie lights, but Chad's performance made it feel real. I think it was because from the time that I met him, the ancestors spoke through him. It's no secret to me now how he was able to skillfully portray some of our most notable ones. I had no doubt that he would live on and continue to bless us with more. But it is with a heavy heart and a sense of deep gratitude to have ever been in his presence, that I have to reckon with the fact that Chad is an ancestor now. And I know that he will watch over us, until we meet again."

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