In a sea of cis-white male superhero leads, the late Chadwick Boseman’s “Black Panther” gave a lot of people hope. 

That’s the thing about Chadwick as an actor. Most of his roles are a reminder of black excellence at play. Although he hit gold by taking the Marvel Cinematic Universe by storm, his roles in “Get On Up,” “Message from the King” and “42” are no jokes. He pushes the culture as an artist—and his last film before his untimely death cements this fact. 

Produced by Hollywood living icon Denzel Washington, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” is his last performance on screen and it’s an important conversation on the exploitation of Black recording artists in history.

Directed by George C. Wolfe, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” stars Chadwick alongside “How to Get Away With Murder’s” Viola Davis. It’s an adaptation of a play with the same name and follows the life of legendary “Mother of the Blues” Ma Rainey in 1927 Chicago. This drama deals with timely topics such as race, music and relationships. 

To pay respects to Chadwick’s passing, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” will be set for a later release date on Netflix. “He was a gentle soul and a brilliant artist who will stay with us for eternity through his iconic performances over his short yet illustrious career. God bless Chadwick Boseman,” says Denzel in a press statement.

In life and in death, Chadwick continues to prove who he is—a young icon gone to soon.

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Still from “Get On Up”