Chadwick Boseman has passed away following a 4-year battle with cancer, his team announced on social media.
Boseman, 43, died at his home surrounding by family, PEOPLE reports.
“It is with immeasurable grief that we confirm the passing of Chadwick Boseman,” the Instagram post read. “Chadwick was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016, and battled with it these last 4 years as it progressed to stage IV.”
“A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much. From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and several more, all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy.”
The actor was best known for his portrayal of a Black superhero in Marvel Studio’s Black Panther (2018).
Boseman is also known for his portrayals of real-life historical figures such as Jackie Robinson in “42”, James Brown in “Get on Up” and Thurgood Marshall in “Marshall.”
Boseman was last seen in public entering a hospital in Santa Monica, Calif. in July. He was accompanied by his fiancée, Taylor Simone.
He was hospitalized weeks after fans expressed concern over his skeletal appearance. His drastic weight loss was explained away as weight loss for a movie role.
In 2018, Boseman became emotional when discussing his visit with two young fans who died of cancer before Black Panther was released.
“Throughout our filming, I was communicating with them, knowing they were both terminal. What they and their parents said to me was, they were trying to hold on ’til this movie comes,” he said during an EW SiriusXM Town Hall.
“To a certain degree it’s a humbling experience because you’re like, this can’t mean that much to them,” he said. “But seeing how the world has taken this on, I realize they anticipated something great. Thinking back now to when I was a kid, waiting for Christmas to come, waiting for my birthday to come, waiting for a toy I was gonna get a chance to experience, or a video game, I did live life waiting for those moments. It put me back in the mind of being a kid and feeling those two boys’ anticipation of this movie.”
