Even though I didn't ever get the chance to meet him personally, from my time working at Marvel I've had peripheral conversations about him with people who have and, by all accounts, he was one of the kindest, most generous, kindest, most authentic, most talented actors we've worked with (and Marvel has worked with quite a few over the years!).

It's always a tragedy to see someone die in their prime. By the age of 43, Chadwick Boseman had already played a number of important roles that had impressed both audiences and critics. By all accounts, while already at the top of his game in his early 40s, he was someone that just about everyone who knew him predicted was destined for a number of other prominent roles, awards, and commercial success. It's so sad to me that we'll never get a chance to see him continue to mature and grow as an actor, and to see what (further) heights he would have been able to attain.

Dying at 43 after a four-year battle with cancer means he was 39 when he was diagnosed. Nobody should have to be diagnosed with what's effectively terminal cancer in their thirties. But what's particularly significant to me about that age is that I'll be turning 39 in December. It was a sobering reminder that no time on this Earth is guaranteed, and that any of us could, at any time, have a change in health, finances, etc. that could dramatically reshape, or even end our lives.

Knowing that, Chadwick Boseman chose to keep his diagnosis private and continue the work he felt called to do as long as he could do it. He worked grueling production schedules (can you imagine doing the 12-16+ hours a day of working out, acting, stunt work, etc. required to be a super hero?) and continued to work, even while being in what must have been intense pain and discomfort from his surgeries and chemotherapy. He didn't ask for special treatment, he didn't try to cultivate favor or sympathy, and he didn't complain (or even speak out to set the record straight) toward the end of his life when the media started making fun of his appearance for all of his weight loss, assuming he had an eating disorder or something . The truth is that all of the "he was a great guy" accolades in the world from his coworkers are nothing compared to the statement this last point makes about what kind of a person he was.