Stan Lee and Chadwick Boseman share a laugh in this heartbreaking piece of fan art.
The Marvel community has been in mourning these past few weeks following Boseman’s tragic death at the age of just 43. As well as his many other accomplishments in Hollywood, Boseman was, of course, the first actor to bring Black Panther to life. And thankfully, the late, great Stan Lee was able to see one of his most important characters portrayed on screen before he himself passed away in 2018.
The moving fan art below honors both icons, depicting the pair sharing a laugh together. The piece comes from digital artist UltraRaw26, who posted it along with the emotional caption below:
“They came into this world, and blessed it with their stories…,” they wrote. “And through those stories, they gave us the will to believe in ourselves, to take on any challenge that life throws our way. Through their actions, they made us believe, that superheroes really do exist in this world.”
Lee and Boseman met on several occasions, even sharing the screen with each other during the comic book creator’s cameo in Black Panther. Lee was thrilled with Marvel’s choice of casting, calling the actor “a talented young man” prior to the film’s release. Meanwhile, Boseman honored Lee following his passing in 2018, sharing a video of himself sending the writer off with a round of ceremonial drumming.
Following Lee’s death, he received a tribute in the following MCU movie – Captain Marvel – with the Marvel Studios fanfare being altered to showcase all his cameos. It’s unknown how Marvel will likewise pay tribute to Chadwick Boseman, but it’s been reported that they’re dedicated to making sure they properly honor the star who has had such an impact on both the franchise and the wider culture of our time. It might be too late for Black Widow to feature anything, but it’s possible this tribute could be held over to Eternals instead.
