Wednesday marks four years since Chadwick Boseman lost his four-year-long battle with colon cancer.
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He was a person who left an indelible mark on everything and everyone he touched and an artist who left a body of work that spoke to the best and most powerful parts of our history and our culture. Whether he was starring in a biopic of the first Black Supreme Court Justice or the first Black superhero, what Boseman embodied in his art and in his life is something we’ll never forget.
So it’s in his honor that we thought it’d be fitting to take a look back at some his best performing films, according to the box office.
Chadwick Boseman, forever.
“Avengers: Endgame”- $2,799,439,100
While Boseman may have been absent for over half of this film (due to “the snap”), seeing him make his grand reappearance all suited and booted as the Black Panther during the most pivotal point in this 2019 film was undoubtedly one of the best pop culture moments of all time. If you know, you know.
“Avengers: Infinity War”- $2,048,359,754
Boseman reprised his role as the Black Panther and joined forces with the other Avengers to square off against Thanos, an evil alien supervillain on a quest to capture six “Infinity Stones” for the sole purpose of wiping out half of all life in the universe.
“Black Panther”- $1,374,959,729
The 2018 film that broke the box office and sent a large message on how Black-leading films could perform and be received gloabally, Boseman continued in his role as T’Challa, the Black Panther in his first standalone film as he fought to protect his home of Wakanda against half-Wakandan, half-American villain Killmonger.
“Captain America: Civil War”- $1,153,296,293
Standing as his first official Marvel introduction, Boseman starred as the Black Panther who’s on a quest for revenge after his father is killed at a political hearing. His anger sees him teaming up with half of the other avengers (led by Tony Stark/Iron Man) who disagree with the other half on how to handle international oversight.
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”- $859,208,836
A follow-up to the record-breaking 2018 film, “Wakanda Forever” came two years after Boseman’s death and was subsequently used to both honor his role as T’Challa (as the film applied his real life death to his character and Marvel decided not to recast the role) and further the story of a beloved hero and his family as they fight for the safety of Wakanda.
“Gods of Egypt”-$150,680,864
In this 2016 fantasy action film, Boseman starred as the Egyptian God of Wisdom “Thoth” who teams up with fellow Egyptian god Horus, who’s on a quest to rescue his love and to save the world from his evil uncle.
“42"-$97,510,197
The film that put Boseman on the map, “42” tells the powerful story of Jackie Robinson, the legendary athlete who broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball after he joined the roster of the Brooklyn Dodgers.
“21 Bridges”-$49,939,757
Starring alongside Stephan James in this 2019 thriller, Boseman played an NYPD detective who shuts down all 21 bridges connecting to Manhattan to find two suspected cop killers.
“Get On Up”-$33,448,971
One of my personal favorite films, Boseman starred as James Brown in this nearly two-and-a-half hour long movie that tells the story of the Godfather of Soul’s rise from extreme poverty to becoming one of the most influential musicians in history.
“Draft Day”- $29,824,199
Starring Boseman and Kevin Costner, this 2014 film tells the story of the Cleveland Browns general manager who, on the day of the NFL Draft, has the opportunity to rebuild his team when he trades for the number one pick. He must quickly decide what he’s willing to sacrifice in pursuit of perfection as the lines between his personal and professional life become blurred on a life-changing day for a few hundred young men with dreams of playing in the NFL.
“Marshall”-$10,116,816
In this 2017 film, Boseman starred in this stirring drama chronicling the journey of a young Thurgood Marshall, the first African American Supreme Court Justice, as he battles through one of his career-defining cases.
“The Express: The Ernie Davis Story”-$9,808,124
Marking his film acting debut, Boseman starred as “Floyd Little” in “The Express: The Ernie Davis Story.” Directed by Gary Fleder, the film centers onthe life of college football hero Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy.
“Message From the King”-$315,132
While this movie didn’t perform too well at the box office, it definitely continued to prove that Boseman had the chops for dramatic, high stakes films.
Directed by Fabrice Du Welz, the film follows a man from Cape Town on a relentless quest to avenge his sister’s murder who infiltrates a sprawling network of lowlifes and elites in Los Angeles.
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