The late Chadwick Boseman was a gifted and highly versatile actor, leaving behind a powerful on-screen legacy with many great performances. Boseman began his career as a theater actor, and gradually drew increasing acclaim as his big-screen career began to unfold. Boseman skyrocketed to stardom when he landed the role of T’Challa, aka Black Panther, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which became his signature role after his numerous appearances in the franchise. Unfortunately, right as his career was blossoming to new heights, Boseman tragically passed away from colon cancer in 2020 at the age of 43.
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Boseman’s passing was and still is mourned by millions of moviegoers and collaborators alike. While Black Panther remains Boseman’s most readily recognized mainstream performance, his talent was no less visible in the many other roles he took on. Here are three Chadwick Boseman performances that remain especially cherished.
42 (2013)
Chadwick Boseman first showed his leading man chops in 2013’s 42 with his portrayal of baseball great Jackie Robinson, and it remains one of the actor’s major career highlights. Set in 1947, talented player Jackie Robinson gets a shot at the big time when he is recruited by Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers, with both Robinson and Rickey knowing he will face significant opposition as a Black man joining the big leagues. Combining uplifting sports drama, World War II-era period piece, and inspiring biopic, 42 is an enthralling tale of Jackie Robinson’s battle to back down racial barriers.
Boseman and Ford deliver two of the best performances of their respective careers as Robinson and Rickey, two men headed into an emotional war with an understanding that Robinson will have to shoulder most of the weight. Jackie Robinson’s tale of conquering opposition through restraint remains as powerful today as ever. Boseman brings the baseball legend to life with real impact in 42, which furthermore easily retains the crown of the 21st century’s best baseball movie to date.
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Black Panther (2018)
After a show-stealing supporting role in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, T’Challa went on to headline his own solo Marvel Cinematic Universe adventure Black Panther, which became of a cultural phenomenon and box office hit of epic proportions. After assuming the throne of king of the reclusive African nation of Wakanda, T’Challa finds himself faced with a new challenge from the cousin he never knew, Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), determined to usurp the throne and wield Wakanda’s arsenal of Vibranium weapons against the world. Black Panther is both a vibrant MCU highlight and fantastic lead-in to 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War, and Boseman’s regal charisma as T’Challa is both captivating in the moment and heartbreaking to revisit after his passing in seeing the command he could have continued bringing to T’Challa after Black Panther.
Just as captivating is Michael B. Jordan as the villainous Killmonger. Jordan’s performance was frequently pinpointed as a standout among the MCU’s Achilles heel of so-so villains, with Jordan embodying Killmonger as an antagonist who is equal parts charismatic, charming, and tragic. Despite some wobbly CGI in its third act, Black Panther is still a superb superhero adventure and a snapshot at Boseman giving a career-defining performance in his tragically too-brief career.
21 Bridges (2019)
Chadwick Boseman jumped from superhero to action hero in 2019’s cop movie 21 Bridges, and showed the range of both dramatic chops and physical dexterity he could bring to both genres. Boseman plays NYPD detective Andre Davis, who leads the precinct’s task force in apprehending a pair of drug dealers who killed a group of cops during a deal gone south. With Manhattan’s 21 bridges locked down, Davis leads NYPD in a cat-and-mouse game and uncovers a far bigger conspiracy. Boseman brings a cool, stoic demeanor to his performance as Davis as a cop whose growing legendary reputation on the force is one he accepts with great reluctance, with the memory of his father dying in the line of duty still haunting him since childhood.
21 Bridges keeps the action and twists tight and taught throughout its economical story, with Davis and his fellow cops in a race against the clock to apprehend the suspects before the lockdown lifts at 5 a.m. The real pay-off of 21 Bridges comes in one of its final scenes, with Davis uncovering the source of the drug deal and the two meeting not in a shootout but a philosophical debate of the desperation of poverty and at what point has one crossed the line in attempting to climb out of such strife. Like a throwback to ’90s action movies and cop capers, 21 Bridges is a fast-paced thriller and a highlight of the late Chadwick Boseman’s versatility and screen presence.
