Today marks Chadwick Boseman‘s 44th birthday, and by all accounts, it should have been the most fruitful period of the actor’s career.
Not only would he be in the midst of training for his return to his career-defining role of T’Challa in the sequel to one of the most culturally important and influential blockbusters of the modern era, but he’s also set to be in the thick of the awards season race and gunning for Oscar glory thanks to his supporting turn in Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods and what’s said to be a tour de force performance in Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
Sadly, however, Boseman passed away at the end of August following a four-year battle against colon cancer that only his inner circle even knew he was fighting, with the news of his death plunging the industry and millions of fans into a state of shock. Black Panther II is scheduled to kick off production next July, and from a purely emotional point of view, it’ll be the most moving and powerful film to come along in a long time.
To celebrate Boseman‘s birthday, though, Marvel Studios have released a new intro for Black Panther on Disney Plus, one which turns the signature opening sequence into a tribute to the leading man, and you can check it out below.
Disney has updated the Marvel Studios intro for 'Black Panther' on Disney Plus in remembrance of the late Chadwick Boseman. Happy birthday, King. pic.twitter.com/2A9sJXLONy
— Geeks of Color (@GeeksOfColor) November 29, 2020
The studio did something similar with Captain Marvel after comic book legend Stan Lee had passed, and Ryan Coogler’s 2018 film is poised to be one of the most popular titles on Disney’s streaming service today as fans rush to pay tribute to a phenomenal talent that was taken far too soon, but nonetheless managed to leave behind an indelible legacy.