"Chadwick Boseman, 'Black Panther' Star, Gone at 43: EVEN HEROES DIE"

Way back in the very beginnings of this blog, 2 and 1/2 years and about 450 entries ago, I wrote about CHADWICK BOSEMAN and the amazing Marvel movie "Black Panther" which was just coming out (see my "Chetitorials" for Feb. 2nd, 17th and 27th, 2018.)

Last night I was shocked and saddened to learn that Chadwick died at age 43 after losing a secret, 4 year battle with Colon Cancer which apparently (we now know) started during the FILMING of that blockbuster movie.

Yes, I found out last night while watching my New York Yankees on TV.  The announcer, Michael Kay, said that Boseman (who played Jackie Robinson in the movie "42") died, "ironically, here on Jackie Robinson Day."  It IS ironic.

A lot will be said about Boseman's ACTING (in "Black Panther," in "42," and when he played James Brown in "Get On Up"), but there's something to be said for him as a real-life PERSON, as WELL in all of this.  You see, I'm quite familiar with Colon Cancer because my first wife died from it.  Boseman had a lot of courage to go through THAT and yet portray one of the most inspirational movie characters EVER, in "Black Panther." And the fact that he commendably kept his illness secret, at the very least, shows that he did NOT want sympathy.

Back to 2018, in NOVEMBER of that year STAN LEE, Marvel comics guru, died.  My letter to a New York paper, at their discretion, had an accompanying photo of Stan and....CHADWICK BOSEMAN.

Now, Stan had a cameo in all of the "Phase 1" Marvel movies but Chadwick is the first MAJOR Marvel MOVIE star to pass away.  And it all takes place here in 2020, when the Coronavirus has halted the beginning of "Phase 2" as "Black Widow" was DUE to be released and "Black Panther 2," so we were told, was in production.

I look at the photo above now, of a 95 year old and a 43 year old, and I wonder if, during this PAUSE in Marvel (and all) movies, if God isn't trying to tell us something.  IN REAL LIFE, HEROES DIE AND THEY DON'T COME BACK....when WE die, we won't come back, EITHER....unlike in the comics or in movies. Our souls will GO SOMEWHERE ELSE and we need to make sure that it's HEAVEN we wind up in!! Nothing else matters, in the final analysis.

This reminds me of when Chris Reeve (who played "Superman,"a D.C. character) died at a young age due to a freak accident and now the man who played a major MARVEL character has tragically died. Death does not discriminate, people. EVEN HEROES DIE.