Written by: John Heffernan
This week we are looking in to the relatively new name that has been going around the cinema world; Chadwick Boseman. He began his career very similar to Octavia Spencer (someone who we covered a few weeks ago) in that he starred in smaller roles. Often a side character and only appearing for a few episodes, Boseman was one of those actors who you probably have seen but do not know the name of. That would all change in 2013.
In 2013, Boseman would go on to star as Jackie Robinson in the film 42 (Helgeland, 2013). Playing the first African American MLB player was a groundbreaking moment in cinema (some may even call it a homerun if they are interested in puns). Boseman was celebrated for his portrayal of the character, however he would not become a household name until 2016, thanks to the help of the quintessential actor recognition machine known as, the comic book movie.
In a little known film called Captain America: Civil War (Russo and Russo, 2016), in where he played one of the newest superheroes, The Black Panther. He would be applauded for bringing the African American voice to the genre of superhero films, and would go on to star in the indie gem that is Black Panther (Coogler, 2017) and additionally an student film project known as Avengers: Infinity War (Russo and Russo, 2018). (Also if you can’t tell these are big name studio films).
- 42. Directed by Brian Helgeland, Performances by Chadwick Boseman, T.R. Knight, Harrison Ford,Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment, 2013.
Captain America: Civil War. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, Performances by Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Marvel Studios, 2016.
Black Panther. Directed by Ryan Coogler, Performances by Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Pictures,2017.
Avengers: Infinity War. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, Performances by Karen Gillan, Robert Downey Jr., Tom Holland, Marvel Studio, 2018.