The tweet that announced the passing of Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, along with a short eulogy, has become the most popular tweet ever, with over 7.3 million likes at the time of writing.
On 29 August, Boseman’s official account tweeted out the eulogy and news of his passing.
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The 43-year-old passed as a result of stage 4 colon cancer. He had not made the diagnosis public previously, so the news came as a shock to fans.
“It is with immeasurable grief that we confirm the passing of Chadwick Boseman,” the statement said.
— Chadwick Boseman (@chadwickboseman) August 29, 2020
Boseman shot to worldwide attention as the star of Black Panther, the first movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to feature a primarily black cast.
While he had previously appeared as King T’Challa in Captain America: Civil War, the Black Panther movie centered the hero’s story and experiences.
The film left a massive impact on the superhero genre with its themes of colonialism and black excellence.
With its Afro-futuristic setting and rallying cry of “Wakanda forever”, the movie opened up the genre more to previously under-represented audiences, resonating even with those outside of MCU or superhero fandom.
Black Panther also became the first MCU film to win an Oscar and the first superhero film to ever be nominated for the Best Picture category.
However, his legacy extends past this role. Boseman supported the Black Lives Matter movement and campaigned for more diversity in Hollywood.
He was outspoken about racism in the film industry and spent his last years working on projects that centered the stories of African American characters.
Most popular tweet ever
Twitter confirmed that his eulogy had become the most liked tweet ever.
Most liked Tweet ever.
A tribute fit for a King. #WakandaForever https://t.co/lpyzmnIVoP
— Twitter (@Twitter) August 29, 2020
“Most liked Tweet ever. A tribute fit for a King. #WakandaForever,” the post from Twitter said.
At the time of writing, the original post from Boseman’s account had over 7.3 million likes. It also had over 3 million retweets and comments.
Tributes to Boseman continue to pour out on social media, from colleagues, politicians, and fans.
Meanwhile, the official Black Panther account shared a video tribute stating that Boseman would always be its king.
You will always be our King. pic.twitter.com/iuN8eGpbXw
— Black Panther (@theblackpanther) August 31, 2020
Feature image: Screenshot
