Lupita Nyong'o, Mark Ruffalo and more pay tribute to Chadwick Boseman on what would have been his 44th birthday
Celebrities, fans and many others paid tribute to beloved "Black Panther" star Chadwick Boseman on Sunday — the day that would have marked his 44th birthday, Entertainment Tonight reports. The actor died this summer at the age of 43 following a four-year fight with colon cancer.
Boseman was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer in 2016, according to a post on his Twitter account announcing the actor's death. Boseman never publicly disclosed his battle with cancer, according to the Associated Press, so both his death and the cause came as a surprise to his fans.
His death led to a flood of social media posts honoring the performer, who was best known for his role as King T'Challa in Marvel's "Black Panther." Throughout his career, he also portrayed real-life Black icons such as James Brown, Thurgood Marshall and Jackie Robinson.
Now, many are taking the time to remember him once again on his birthday.
Disney
Disney honored Boseman with a "Black Panther" themed Marvel Studios logo. The redesigned logo could be seen by those watching "Black Panther" on Disney's streaming platform, Disney+. Marvel Studios also shared a video of the logo on Twitter.
Disney chairman Bob Iger appeared to tease the tribute on Twitter on Saturday. "To all fans of #BlackPanther: watch the film on #DisneyPlus late tonight, for a special tribute to someone that was and will always be near and dear to our hearts," he wrote on the platform.
Lupita Nyong'o
Boseman's "Black Panther" co-star Lupita Nyong'o posted a sweet image of the actors dressed in formal attire on social media, writing simply, "Deeply loved, sorely missed." Nyong'o played Boseman's love interest in the 2018 film.
She also shared a moving tribute in September following Boseman's death.
"Chadwick was a man who made the most of his time, and somehow also managed to take his time," she wrote on social media at the time. "I didn't know him for long, but he had a profound effect on me in the time that I did."
Mark Ruffalo
"Thinking of your passion, love, and your light today," tweeted Mark Ruffalo, who has portrayed Bruce Banner/The Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He also shared behind-the-scenes video of the cast and crew singing happy birthday to Boseman during the filming of a Marvel movie. "Happy Birthday. Wishing we could time travel back to this moment," Ruffalo added.
Howard University
Boseman's alma mater, Howard University, also honored the star on Twitter. "Gone but not forgotten! Rest in Power," the school wrote.
The actor delivered the keynote address at the prestigious HBCU's commencement ceremony in 2018.
Common
Rapper and actor Common tweeted a touching message to Boseman on Sunday, along with images of the star. "Happy Birthday King. God Bless You," he wrote. "Thank you for using your gift to bring light to this world. RIP."
Viola Davis
Actress Viola Davis tweeted a happy birthday message to Boseman, along with a short video clip of the late actor. "Happy birthday in Heaven, Chadwick!" Davis wrote. "You are still so alive to me!! I love you."
Davis stars with Boseman in the upcoming Netflix film, "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom." The movie is an adaptation of August Wilson's play of the same name. It's set to drop on the streaming platform on December 18. The movie is Boseman's final film role.
