Marvel Stars Pay Tribute to Chadwick Boseman in Emotional Tribute on ABC

Sunday night, ABC and Marvel Studios collaborated on Chadwick Boseman — A Tribute for a King, an hour-long special paying tribute to the late Black Panther star. Leading the night was an emotional video provided by Marvel Studios using behind-the-scenes footage from the Marvel movies Boseman appeared in.

Interlaced with commentary from cast and crew — including Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, director Ryan Coogler, producer Nate Moore, and more — the video used both new BTS shots and clips from movies like Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. You can see it below.

After the video aired, Robin Roberts interview a couple more colleagues of Boseman’s, including another emotional chat with Forest Whitaker. The night ended with ABC airing a snippet from Boseman’s commencement speech from Howard University in 2018.

“In African cultures we often refer to loved ones that have passed on as ancestors. Sometimes you are genetically related. Sometimes you are not,” Coogler said in his statement regarding Boseman’s passing Sunday. “I had the privilege of directing scenes of Chad’s character, T’Challa, communicating with the ancestors of Wakanda. We were in Atlanta, in an abandoned warehouse, with bluescreens, and massive movie lights, but Chad’s performance made it feel real. I think it was because from the time that I met him, the ancestors spoke through him. It’s no secret to me now how he was able to skillfully portray some of our most notable ones.”

Coogler added, “I had no doubt that he would live on and continue to bless us with more. But it is with a heavy heart and a sense of deep gratitude to have ever been in his presence, that I have to reckon with the fact that Chad is an ancestor now. And I know that he will watch over us, until we meet again.”

Boseman died on Friday after a four-year battle with colon cancer. He was 43.

Cover photo by Steven Ferdman/WireImage