Marvel Cinematic Universe stars Don Cheadle and Robert Downey Jr. honored the late Chadwick Boseman during the MTV Movie & TV Awards: Greatest of All Time special, which aired Sunday night.
Boseman, renowned for his portrayal of T’Challa, starred in Black Panther. The 2018 film was one of the first MCU films to earn over $1 billion worldwide.
The late star was honored as a “Hero for the Ages” during the event. MTV declared that the award commended him as “a star whose heroism onscreen was only surpassed by the true hero they were offscreen.”
Downey, who portrayed Iron Man, said Boseman’s “energy and intensity was undeniable.”
He “truly embodied what it meant to be a superhero,” said Downey.
Cheadle maintained that while Boseman is best known for his starring role in Black Panther, he also excelled in his portrayals of Thurgood Marshall, James Brown and Jackie Robinson in 2017’s Marshall, Get On Up in 2014 and 42 the year prior.
“Chadwick will forever be known as the Black Panther, but he also painted incredibly powerful portrayals of iconic and influential real men who changed the world,” Cheadle said, adding: “He brought humanity and truth to the portrayal of people that felt larger than life, and he did it in a way that honored their memories.”
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Boseman died at his Los Angeles home on Aug. 28 after a four-year fight with colon cancer kept secret.
“Each time he stepped on the set,” said Cheadle, “he inspired and influenced everyone there, and with every role, he created a new legion of fans.”
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“He had an incredible power to unify people in their love for his work and their respect for him as a person. The way he lived his life united people behind a higher purpose, and that will be his legacy.”
The special aired in place of the annual MTV Movie & TV Awards due to the coronavirus pandemic. The show honored other stars for famous scenes and portrayals, including Kevin Hart, Drew Barrymore, Kristen Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Selma Blair and Adam Sandler.
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