Black Panther Star Lupita Nyong’o Honors Chadwick Boseman Three Years After His Death

Lupita Nyong’o penned a touching tribute to Chadwick Boseman three years to the day of his passing.

August 28, 2023, 7:12pm

Three years ago, Chadwick Boseman passed away after a years-long battle with cancer. On the anniversary of his passing Monday, Lupita Nyong’o, a collaborator of the late Oscar nominee, shared a heartfelt tribute to her departed Black Panther co-star. In the post, Nyong’o shared an anecdote of Boseman and her on the press tour for the Marvel feature, revealing the two were having plenty of fun with fans on their three-day PR stint in South Korea.

Videos by ComicBook.com

“Three years ago today, I experienced a singular pain at the news of @chadwickboseman’s death,” the Nyong’o wrote in the post. “The confusion was so profound that it took months to trust the feeling of joy again.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lupita Nyong'o (@lupitanyongo)

She added, “This is a photo I took on film at the airport as we arrived in South Korea in 2018. We had just learned to do the baby heart with our fingers. Here Chadwick was adding his suave flare. We spent a glorious 72 hours there, and the memory fills me with so much joy.”

Nyong’o went on the reflect on Boseman’s death, admitting she’s not sure she’s come to terms with his passing quite yet.

“Death is hard to understand, maybe even harder to accept,” she concluded. “But the love generated from the life he lived will fuel every anniversary marking his absence. Chadwick may no longer be in our photos, but he will always be in our hearts.”

Boseman passed on August 28, 2020 after a four-year battle with colon cancer. The actor kept his diagnosis largely hidden, only informing his immediate family and management team.

What is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever about?

In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, “Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the mighty Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba), fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of the death of their beloved King T’Challa. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett K. Ross (Martin Freeman) if they are to forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda.”

Both Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever are now streaming on Disney+.