The world is still reeling from the unexpected passing of actor Chadwick Boseman, who died on August 28th following a years-long battle with colon cancer. The news was met with an inundation of love and reminiscence from fans, fellow actors and those close to the influential 43-year-old.
Disney is the latest in the long line of those paying respects to Boseman; in addition to the ABC News Special, Chadwick Boseman – A Tribute for a King (which is still available for streaming on Disney+), Disneyland unveiled a mural in the downtown shopping district its the theme park on Thursday. The mural, with artwork from concept artist and former Disney Imagineer Nikkolas Smith depicts the late Black Panther star giving the Wakanda salute to a young fan wearing the Black Panther mask. The art piece is titled, “King Chad.”
“This one is special. My King Chad tribute is now on a wall on display at Downtown Disney,” the capton from Smith reads. “It is a full circle moment for me: my final two projects as a Disney Imagineer last summer were working on the children’s hospital project and the Avengers Campus.
“To millions of kids, T’Challa was a legend larger than life, and there was no one more worthy to fill those shoes than Chadwick Boseman,” Smith added. “I’m so thankful to be able to honor Chadwick’s life and purpose in this way. I am grateful to the Disney family for being so supportive of my journey as an artist.”
The artwork exhibits the monumental impact which Chadwick Boseman had on the lives of fans across the world, including his incredible ability to inspire as the altruistic and virtuous leader of the nation of Wakanda. Marvel fans will continue to see themselves in the character of Black Panther/T’Challa forever thanks to the inimitable essence with which Boseman imbued the character.
The full artwork for the mural can be seen here:
Smith accompanied the posting of his artwork with the caption, “He would never let the kids see that he was fighting cancer too… To them, he was and will forever be T’Challa… The King✨.” A portion of the proceeds from the print will go towards St. Jude’s Children Hospital and Children’s Hospital L.A. If you’d like more information on the print, head over to Smith’s official website.
