Celebrities responding to Black Panther's death

In the aftermath of Chadwick Boseman's tragic and untimely death, celebrities are taking to social media to share their grief and condolences.

On Friday, August 28, 2020, Boseman's family confirmed that the actor, who was just 43 years old, lost his battle with stage IV colon cancer. from 2016, he was going through a lot of treatment and surgeries and managing film projects going on to film projects like Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods during his brave fight against the aggressive illness. Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe know Boseman best for his groundbreaking and career-defining performance as King T'Challa, the leader of Wakanda, in Black Panther and the MCU crossover films Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame.

Celebrities on Twitter tweeted and mourned about Boseman's too-short career, particularly as the actor lost his fight against cancer just as he became one of the world's biggest stars. 

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences itself which nominated Black Panther for Best Picture and awarded it statues for Costume Design and Best Original Score in 2019 wrote on Twitter following Boseman's passing,

"An immeasurable loss. From Black Panther to Da5 Bloods, Chadwick Boseman brought strength and light to the screen, every time."

Taking to Twitter, Sarah Paulson Emmy-winning star of American Crime Story, American Horror

Story, and the upcoming Ratched shared,
"What a gift he was to all of us out there in thedark watching him listen was more enrapturing than watching others with endless words to say. What an immeasurable loss. Rest in Power."
Moonlight director Barry Jenkins simply wrote, "In power. Eternally in power," while Vice reporter Brian Josephs mused,

"Chadwick Boseman is a big reason why our kids don't have to wonder about what a Black superhero is." 

Boseman's MCU co-star Brie Larson, who plays Captain Marvel in the superhero franchise, simply tweeted a single broken heart emoji alongside a picture of her on a red carpet next to Boseman. Meanwhile, Deadpool himself Ryan Reynolds wrote, 

"Such a brutal loss. RIP, Chadwick."

Don Cheadle, another MCU mainstay, posted a candid photo of himself and Boseman, writing,

"I will miss you, birthday brother. you were always light and love to me. my god ... forever and ever ..."

Hulk actor Mark Ruffalo responded to the tweet announcing Boseman's passing as well,

It was the highest honor getting to work with you and getting to know you. What a generous and sincere human being. You believed in the sacred nature of the work and gave your all. Much love to your family. And much love from all of us left here.

— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) August 29, 2020

Several Twitter users also posted about how Boseman consistently visited children's hospitals after his own cancer diagnosis, which he kept private from the world, showing that this star was as magnanimous as he was talented.

Even actors who, by their own admission, never worked with Boseman are speaking out about this loss. William Jackson Harper, a recent Emmy nominee for his breakthrough role on The Good Place, wrote on Twitter,

"Damn. I never got to meet him, but man do I respect him and his work. He was one of the most inspirational, effective artists of our generation. His work means a lot to me. I looked up to him and I was rooting for him, which he made very easy to do. Such a huge, huge loss."

Finally, Marvel Studios itself weighed in, tweeted,

Our hearts are broken and our thoughts are with Chadwick Boseman’s family. Your legacy will live on forever. Rest In Peace. pic.twitter.com/DyibBLoBxz

— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) August 29, 2020

As news of Boseman's death ripples throughout Hollywood, more and more celebrities, including his Marvel co-stars, will certainly share their reactions. Whether you're an A-list star or merely a Marvel enthusiast, it's impossible not to feel the weight of Boseman's untimely death particularly when you consider that the actor was a historic MCU star who inspired a generation of young people, all while fighting a heroic battle against cancer. Boseman's passing is a difficult and painful loss not just for Hollywood, but also for fans across the world. His absence will certainly be felt for many, many years to come.