The Emmy Awards recognized the "Black Panther" actor for his voice work two years after he passed.
Chadwick Boseman may have passed away in 2020, but his legacy continues on, so much so that the Emmy Awards has honored him with a posthumous award for his voiceover in one of his final roles. The actor, who gained a worldwide following for his indubitable portrayal of T'Challa in Marvel's "Black Panther," lent his voice to "Marvel's What If?" during his final years.
Gizmodo reported that Boseman voiced the animated version of T'Challa in what would become the Disney+ series, in which the character became Star-Lord, instead of Peter Quill. While a few other Marvel actors returned to bring life to their animated characters, Boseman did so in such a manner that earned him an honor from the Television Academy.
'Black Panther' Actor Honored with a Creative Arts Emmy
During the Creative Arts Emmys ceremony on Saturday, Boseman was honored with a posthumous award for "Marvel's What If," beating fellow nominees such as Jeffrey Wright, who was also on the show, F. Murray Abraham in another Marvel outing called "Moon Knight," Julie Andrews for Netflix's hit "Bridgerton," Stanley Tucci for "Central Park," Maya Rudolph for "Big Mouth," and another late actor, Jessica Walter for "Archer."
Boseman's posthumous Emmy for "Marvel's What If?" was received by his wife, Taylor Simone Ledward, who recalled her late husband's "commitment and...dedication" in working on the show despite his health issues. The actor had been diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in 2016, an illness he did not make public. The then 43 year old passed away from complications from his cancer diagnosis on August 28, 2020.
Ledward called Boseman's posthumous Emmy "a beautifully aligned moment" in her speech, describing his portrayal of T'Challa as "an exploration of something new, diving into a new potential future" especially when "Black Panther" was so well-received as the first Black culture-centered Marvel film.
Marvel Co-stars Remember Chadwick Boseman
It may have been two years since Boseman had passed, but many of his Marvel co-stars still remember his talent and kindness. In fact, on the actor's death anniversary on August 28, several of his "Black Panther" friends and co-stars took to social media to share their thoughts on remembering the star.
According to Comicbook.com, Nupita Nyong'o took to Instagram to share an old video of herself and Boseman in a "Black Panther" screening, in which the actor appeared to still be humbly in awe of the fact that so many people were asking him to sign tickets, shoes, and other memorabilia. She captioned the post, "Kept it real, kept it kind."
Nyong'o, who played Nakia, a member of the royal guard called Dora Milaje in "Black Panther," shared this touching moment that underscored Boseman's humility despite his successful career. Other actors chimed in on the post, such as co-star Winston Duke who played M'Baku in the film. He described Boseman as an "incredibly generous man" and a "treasure."
"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" is marching on with Boseman's memory, and the film is set to be released on November 11.
