“King Chad” forever: a mural honoring late Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman displayed at the Disneyland Resort now has a permanent home at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Since September, artist Nikkolas Smith’s mural has adorned a wall at the Downtown Disney District at Disneyland Resort in remembrance of Boseman, who died of colon cancer in August at the age of 43. Named “King Chad,” Smith’s piece depicts Boseman and a child saluting each other with the “Wakanda Forever” arm pose made famous by Marvel Studios blockbuster Black Panther. This week, Smith donated “King Chad” to CHLA in a special ceremony with help from 11-year-old patient Daniel:
“It’s just a huge honor for me personally to be able to donate this piece of art to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, where I know it will inspire patients going through treatments and serve as a reminder of not only Chadwick’s heart but also his relatable struggle with cancer,” Smith said (via the Disney Parks Blog). “To see my art getting to live on at such a special place where it can bring hope to others – it is truly one of the greatest gifts I could receive.”
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The concept artist and former Disney Imagineer previously worked on the company’s $100 million Disney’s Children’s Hospitals Program as well as Avengers Campus, where Black Panther and members of Wakanda’s Dora Milaje will recruit guests when the Marvel-inspired land opens June 4 at Disney California Adventure.
“One of the very first things I did when I joined Disney was taking a tour of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, which was incredibly moving for me, especially now as a father,” Smith said. “I was also humbled to visit the set of Black Panther, where I met Chadwick in-person and witnessed his kindness firsthand. Looking at this artwork now, it really married together so many meaningful moments during my time at Disney.”
“King Chad” prints are available for purchase on Smith’s website with a portion of proceeds benefitting the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Boseman met with young patients and visited St. Jude’s during his private four-year battle with colon cancer.
Smith previously called “King Chad” a “full circle moment” when the mural was unveiled at the California resort:
“My final two projects as a Disney Imagineer last summer were working on the Children’s Hospital project and the Avengers Campus. To millions of kids, T’Challa was a legend larger than life, and there was no one more worthy to fill those shoes than Chadwick Boseman,” Smith wrote in a September 2020 Instagram post. “I’m so thankful to be able to honor Chadwick’s life and purpose in this way. I am grateful to the Disney family for being so supportive of my journey as an artist.”
Disney has a long history supporting the CHLA: it’s there that the Disney Children’s Hospitals Program brought other Marvel superheroes, like Iron Man and Guardians of the Galaxy’s Baby Groot, into hospital rooms with the magic of the augmented reality and games Disney Team of Heroes app.
