Source: Global Times
Luc, special correspondent of this newspaper
"A young, gifted black man, become a respectable hero..." On the 29th local time, the Obamas recalled their meeting with "Black Panther" Chadwick Bosman at the White House on Twitter. The day before, Chadwick Bosman's family posted on Twitter that he had died after 4 years of battling colon cancer, at the age of 43. Bosman, who became popular as king of Wakanda, originally had many works such as "Black Panther 2" that were expected, and he himself was optimistic for his good public image and professionalism prospects. After the news of his death, American sports stars, politicians and netizens mourned the "black hero on and off the screen" in various ways.
Eulogies brushed the screen, and "Black Panther" was re-screened
Social platforms became a place of concentration for people to mourn the "King of Wakanda". His family's last updated Twitter photos (above) and obituary statement received 6 million "likes" in one day, more than Obama set a record on Twitter in 2017. Many of the screen partners who have worked with Bosman, such as "Captain America" Chris Evans, "Thor" Chris Hemsworth, "Hulk" Mark Ruflow, "Black Widow" Scarlett Johansson and "Shangqi" Liu Simu, who has not yet had time to meet, are the first to post tributes. In addition, the UNITED STATES TBS cable station, Disney ABC channel, streaming media platforms have re-screened "Black Panther", the film website IMDb specially produced a short video clip to recall the highlight moments and representative roles of Bosman's film career, and more fans and artists spontaneously used short videos and posters to mourn the "superhero" who fought with the disease to the end. NBA superstar LeBron James also crossed his fists with both hands before the game on the 29th, and held a moment of silence for the "Black Panther".
"Follow the great man he plays and become an idol of the times"
Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1977, Bosman first appeared in the drama "Guardians of the City Third Echelon" in 2003, and first appeared on the big screen in the 2008 movie "Life Express". The film tells the legendary life of Ernie Davis, a well-known black football star in American history - although not the main actor, Bosman also began to associate with the theme of "black hero". After starring in a series of genre dramas such as "Detroit Police" and "Detective in the Line of Fire", Bosman played jackie Robinson, the first black legendary player to enter Major League Baseball (MLB) in the movie "Legend 42" in 2013. "Bosman's talent is not only acting, but also casting ability. He was able to clearly realize what story he was going to tell, and finally found a breakthrough in 2013 after 10 years of running the dragon set. This "breakthrough" in the British "Guardian" review is Exactly Jackie Robinson, played by Bosman, which became his representative role before starring in "Black Panther".
Paying tribute to Bosman, U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Biden said, "From Black Panther to Jackie Robinson, he has inspired generations to believe that anyone, even a superhero, can be anyone, even a superhero, with a dream in mind." Coincidentally, the day Bosman died is this year's Jackie Robinson Memorial Day (August 28), and the MLB League mourns Bosman, saying, "His rendition will allow audiences to continue to feel Robinson's story on screen."
Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige wrote, "Bosman has played many great people, and now he has followed these great people to become the idols of the times." "In the 2014 movie "Draft Day", Bosman was the first rookie of the NFL; in the same year's "Excitement", he became the "godfather" of American soul music James Brown; in the 2017 movie "Marshall", Bosman played marshall, the first black judge of the US federal court, defending the black driver accused of raping white people... Coupled with the "Black Panther" in "Captain America 3", "Black Panther", "Avengers 3", "Avengers 4", Bosman became the representative of black heroes on the Hollywood screen. Bosman's last released work before his death was the famous black director Spike Lee's new work "The Oath of Blood Five", and although the captain he played had long been killed in the Vietnam War, he had been guiding his comrades who returned to their hometown after many years in flashbacks, becoming the core characters and spiritual leaders of the entire film.
Change the "too white" Hollywood and American society
Bosman and "Black Panther" not only brought great success at the box office, but also leveraged many old ideas in Hollywood and American society. Hollywood before 2013 was not as racist as it was in the 1940s, but there are still only a few people of color who can actually play the leading role. Brian Kirk, director of the police thriller 21 Bridges, starring Bosman, admits, "Before Black Panther, it was definitely a challenge for any film to feature black people other than Will Smith and Denzel Washington. Black Panther shatters that possibility, and we can choose actors of any color, which is liberating for everyone. From this perspective, The Guardian believes that "Bosman changed the film forever" and that "he is like the sacrificed captain of the Blood Five, who has always existed in people's hearts as a heroic young leader". From the perspective of "importance to the African American community", NBA celebrity and well-known African American social activist Abdul-American Abdel-American social activist believes that Bosman is "comparable to the monument of the Lincoln Memorial" and that "his inspirational role as an actor can remind the world of an upright and brave black image, bringing pride and hope to the African American community."