When the late Chadwick Boseman lit up the screen as T’Challa, aka Black Panther, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the actor became a household name. Always a talented and gifted actor, it was his role as the iconic Marvel superhero that skyrocketed him to stardom. It made his passing at the age of 43 in 2020 all the more tragic as it seemed like he was taken from fans just as his career had begun to truly bloom. But while Boseman’s time was short, his work was far more than just Black Panther. Having begun his career in theater, Boseman had other notable big screen roles as well — and one of his best is about to leave HBO Max.
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Released in 2013, 42 was one of Boseman’s earliest film roles and his first lead role. The film, a biopic about baseball legend Jackie Robinson, the first Black athlete to play in the MLB, was well-received upon its release and did well at the box office but has largely flown under the radar. However, it’s easily one of Boseman’s greatest films and is one that deserves to be streamed before it departs HBO Max at the end of the month.
42 Shows How Skilled an Actor Boseman Really Was
While 42 is an excellent movie overall with strong performances from the full cast — including Harrison Ford, Nichole Beharie, Christopher Meloni, Andre Holland, Lucas Black, Hamish Linklater, and Alan Tudyk — it’s Boseman’s performance as Robinson that truly shines. Boseman brings the icon to life with a beautifully executed balance of dignity and resilience as Robinson faced racism, conveying powerful emotional moments in the film that depicted real-life experiences for the baseball legend with nuance and stoicism. At times when watching 42 it feels less like one is watching an actor portray Robinson and more like Boseman is fully inhabiting him. It’s a performance that brings dignity to the man and the story while never shying away from the significance of what it’s trying to convey.
Outside of Boseman’s performance on his own, there’s a lot to be said about how Boseman plays off of the other cast in the film as well, particular Harrison ford as Branch Rickey. Rickey was the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers and was instrumental in Robinson playing MLB by breaking the color line and signing him. In the film, Ford and Boseman play off one another perfectly, particularly in a scene in which Robinson asks Rickey if he had been looking for a player who was too afraid to fight back to which Rickey said he wanted one with the guts not to fight back. The scene highlights not only the skill of the two actors — especially Boseman — but really highlights the relationship of the two men they are portraying. It’s brilliantly done and is just one of man outstanding moments in 42. It’s helps make the film the rare sports movie that you don’t have to know anything about sports or even like to them to appreciate and enjoy — and you should definitely check it out before it departs HBO Max on February 28th.
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