Fans are still struggling to come to terms with the tragic loss of Chadwick Boseman following the actor’s death at 43 after a private battle with colon cancer that not even his most recent collaborators knew he was fighting. Tributes continue to pour in from all corners, and as a result, his movies have found themselves experiencing a surge in viewership as audiences look to pay tribute to a talent that always played strong and dignified characters.
In the days following Boseman’s passing, Black Panther was trending worldwide as millions around the globe reflected on the legacy of the Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbuster, with the leading man integral to the success of a cultural milestone that broke down barriers in the industry and inspired a generation. As such, it shouldn’t come as much surprise that Ryan Coogler’s Best Picture nominee is the most-streamed comic book movie of the week.
As per website Reelgood, which tracks the performance of films and TV shows available on the various platforms by having their users input what they’ve been watching, 17% of people have streamed Black Panther at some stage over the last seven days. As the biggest non-Avengers hit in the MCU’s back catalogue, T’Challa’s solo debut was one of the franchise’s most popular titles already, but Boseman’s death has now added a huge emotional impact for viewers that have headed back to Wakanda.
The rest of the top five is rounded out by The Old Guard, Birds of Prey, Joker and Avengers: Infinity War, but they’re all lagging a long way behind Black Panther as fans decide that the best way to honor the title character’s legacy is to enjoy the movie all over again.
