'Black Panther' star Chadwick Boseman dead at 43, Hollywood reacts

Boseman's family announced on his Twitter on Friday night that he passed away with his wife and family by his side. – AP

Actor Chadwick Boseman, best known for his star turn in the blockbuster Marvel superhero film Black Panther, has died at age 43 after a four-year battle with colon cancer, according to an announcement posted on Friday on his Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Boseman, a native of South Carolina, passed away at his home, with his wife and family at his side, the statement said, without specifying when he died.

During his screen career, Boseman played a number of real-life characters famed for breaking America's racial barriers, including soul singer James Brown in Get On Up, Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in Marshall, and baseball pioneer Jackie Robinson in 42.

But the actor's most memorable role was his 2018 performance as T'Challa, king of the fictional African kingdom of Wakanda and the crime fighter known as Black Panther, in the first major studio superhero movie featuring a predominantly African-American cast.

Black Panther went on to become one of the highest-grossing films of the year and was nominated for six Oscars, including best picture. It won three Academy Awards – in the best original score, best costume design and best production design categories.

Boseman originated the Black Panther film role two years earlier in Marvel's Captain America: Civil War, and reprised the part twice more in 2018's Avengers: Infinity War and 2019's Avengers: Endgame.

Also read: 'Rest in power, King T’Challa': Marvel stars react to Chadwick Boseman's death

As the news hit social media, Hollywood is remembering the actor who became a household name when he starred in the title role of the Marvel superhero movie Black Panther.

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/YQMrEJy90x — Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) August 29,2020

Jordan Peele tweeted,"This is a crushing blow." Fellow director Nia DaCosta wrote,"I'll miss waiting to see what he does next. Rest in power."

This is a crushing blow. — Jordan Peele (@JordanPeele) August 29,2020

Boseman's family announced on his Twitter on Friday night that he passed away with his wife and family by his side. Calling Boseman "a true fight," the family said he was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016 and "battled with it these last 4 years as it progressed to stage IV."

Don Cheadle wrote,"I will miss you, birthday brother. you were always light and love to me. my god..."

i will miss you, birthday brother. you were always light and love to me. my god... ‍ forever and ever... https://t.co/9pORaKZuQN pic.twitter.com/awX3DiTVwn — Don Cheadle (@DonCheadle) August 29,2020

"I'm floored by the news," Ice Cube tweeted. "Chadwick was one of the best and I really enjoyed watching him work. RIP." "Hard to hear about this. Rest in love, brother,"

Dwayne Johnson wrote. "Thank you for shining your light and sharing your talent with the world. My love and strength to your family."

Hard to hear about this. Rest in love, brother. Thank you for shining your light and sharing your talent with the world. My love and strength to your family. https://t.co/hNAWav7Cq8 — Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) August 29,2020

Fellow Marvel star Simu Liu wrote,"I have absolutely no words. Rest in power my brother."

I have absolutely no words. Rest in power my brother. — Simu Liu (@SimuLiu) August 29,2020

Hollywood actor Jeremy Pope posted a broken heart emoji with simple message of,"no words. dear god." – Reuters