Six years after working together on “Black Panther,” Ryan Coogler opens up about the late Chadwick Boseman’s lasting legacy.
Chadwick Boseman’s unexpected passing, following a private battle with colon cancer, sent shockwaves across the world in 2020. However, for the cast of “Black Panther,” the loss hit especially close to home.
Director Ryan Coogler, known for helming “Black Panther” and “Creed,” recently appeared on “The Breakfast Club,” where he shared heartfelt reflections on Boseman’s impact both on and off-screen.
“He changed my life. He was quite a bit older than us even though he looked like he was the same age—he was not. He was a fully baked man from the South,” Coogler said of the late actor, who hailed from South Carolina. “He was an old school man’s man, and compared to that dude when we worked together, bro, me and Mike [Michael B. Jordan] was kids.”
Boseman and Jordan portrayed feuding cousins in Marvel’s 2018 blockbuster, but behind the scenes, their dynamic was something else entirely. According to Coogler, Boseman stepped into a big brother role for both him and Jordan.
“Out of all of my actors, Chad’s death actually hit Mike the hardest,” he shared, speaking to the quiet leadership Boseman carried. “He was the kind of teacher who you never knew you was getting a lesson when he taught. It was all by example.”
“What he gave me and Michael was patience,” Coogler continued. “He moved at an old-school pace, and he took his time [but] he was always early. He was that type of dude.”
Inspired by Boseman’s discipline and grace on set, Coogler shared that his legacy still guides his creative decisions. While filming Coogler’s upcoming movie project “Sinners” with Jordan, the late actor’s spirit served as motivation.
“I remember asking him, ‘What would Chad do in this role? If he had this role, what would he do?’” Coogler recalled.
“There won’t ever be another Chad,” he added.
Jordan echoed those sentiments in his emotional tribute to Boseman in Apple TV+’s “Number One on The Call Sheet”:
“Chad’s immortalized. Wakanda forever. Chadwick forever.”
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