It’s hard to believe, but 2023 will mark three years since the tragic loss of Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman. The Marvel icon had privately battled colon cancer for over four years before succumbing to the illness at 43. While the man might be gone, his legacy is not because his memory is being kept alive by his friends and colleagues. Most recently, fellow MCU actor Michael B. Jordan shared a memory of a moment he shared with Boseman on the press tour for the first Black Panther that stuck with him, especially after his friend’s death.
Michael B. Jordan recently appeared on the daytime talk show The View to promote the release and discuss taking over directorial duties for Creed III. Long-time co-host Sunny Hostin asked the actor if he had any memories of his friend Boseman that come up for him when he thinks about the time he shared with him in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Fruitvale Station actor shared some emotional words of praise for Chadwick before sharing how the two performers connected while working together. Still, the moment didn’t hit Jordan until after Boseman’s death. He told the hosts:
Chadwick was a special guy, you know? Up until we found out what we found out, that he’d kept secret for such a long time. There was a moment on the press tour [for Black Panther]— we were backstage, we were in London, and we were getting ready to watch the movie for the first time together. And we looked at each other like, ‘We’re connected for the rest of our lives.’ You know what I’m saying? We’re connected. I just remember sitting there and having a real connection, a real moment, with him. And obviously knew nothing at the time, had no idea, so when things unfolded the way they did and unfortunately we lost him, it really stuck with me.
It seems pretty evident that Michael B. Jordan is taking his friend’s legacy of work as motivation as he moves forward in his career. The Fahrenheit 451 star says Chadwick Boseman was dedicated to his craft until the “last moments of his life,” and that is what he has left behind for generations of moviegoers. He also shared how the late Black Panther star's work ethic has impacted how he approaches life and work. Jordan continued:
He was such a hard worker. He worked up until the very last moments of his life. That’s what he left for us. Every moment that you get make the most of it. Life is short. You have a limited amount of time with the people that you love and the things you love to do. So make it worth it and make it count. That’s what I carry with me as I move forward.
The Wire alum seemingly takes the lessons learned from losing his friend Chadwick Boseman to heart. Michael B. Jordan shows no signs of slowing down. The star returns as Adonis Creed in the soon-to-be-released third installment in the highly acclaimed Rocky spin-off series, an installment that sees Jordan behind the camera as director for the very first time. But this is only one of many high-profile jobs the star has lined up for himself. He has already confirmed a fourth Creed film, teased potential spin-offs to his boxing series, and signed on for the long-rumored Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six adaptation.
You can see Micahel B. Jordan keep his friends memory alive by pouring himself into the work he loves once Creed III hits theaters on March 3. Until then, check out our 2023 new movie releases list to plan future cinema trips.
