Chadwick Boseman birth anniversary: When ‘Black Panther’ star said, ‘I’m dead’ on his future at MCU

Washington: Late Hollywood star Chadwick Boseman, who was born on November 29, 1976, was an actor whose iconic on-screen body of work will be remembered for years to come. The actor had perfectly embodied the character of Wakandan King T`challa and his alter ego Black Panther in the Marvel franchise films prior to his death on August 28, 2020, following a secret four-year battle with colon cancer. 

To honour Boseman`s demise, the death of his character was also incorporated into the MCU and was addressed in `Wakanda Forever`. However, what`s emotional is that even while the world remained unaware of his ailment, the actor had once spoken about him dying during a red-carpet event. 

Black Panther was one of many characters (half the MCU`s population, to be exact) killed by Thanos in `Avengers: Infinity War`, and ahead of `Avengers: Endgame` release, Boseman was asked about his future with Marvel. He simply said, "I`m dead," according to Mashable. 

"So you don`t want to give us a spoiler or anything like that?" the interviewer continued, to which he again reminded her, "I`m dead." She further asked him if there was anything he could tell fans about a potential `Black Panther` sequel, and Boseman echoed, "I`m dead." 

He repeated it so many times that it shook viewers a little, and even the interviewer explained, "Noooo. We`re not ready for you to be dead, Chadwick," as per Mashable. 

At that time because fans weren`t aware of his illness, several people created memes out of this as they found it relatable. But, over time, this interview has become chilling. Boseman`s impact is still deeply ingrained in popular culture. His breakthrough performance in `Black Panther` made that movie the first superhero movie to be nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards. His other film credits include, `Get on Up`, `Marshal`, `42` and `Ma Rainey`s Black Bottom` among others.