Pastor Touré Roberts has revealed that watching the new “Black Panther” movie was no easy feat for him, considering the emotional toll of being reminded of the untimely death of actor Chadwick Boseman, whom he described as a “friend and kingdom brother.”
“Although I was originally reluctant to opening myself up to the scenes in the film that honored Chadwick, I did reflect upon my transitioned brother once I got home,” Roberts shared in a November 13 Instagram post. “This allowed me to visit a room that indeed had pain, but it also had love and the joy of deeply fond memories. I was able to be reminded of how extraordinary a human being Chad was. They couldn’t have cast a better superhero. It’s who he was.”
The ONE church pastor and bestselling author went on to share with his nearly half a million followers that viewing the tribute scenes in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” allowed him to learn “something about grief.”
“It ain’t all bad. In fact, grief is the evidence of the experience of real love, and true love can never be taken away,” Roberts wrote.
He concluded his thoughts by stating that Boseman’s “life is still speaking today,” and thanked writer and director Ryan Coogler for the “brilliant” film. Roberts also tagged Letitia Wright and complimented the actress for her portrayal of Shuri in the new MCU movie. “You were amazing! Heaven smiled,” he told her.
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Roberts, husband of ONE church co-pastor Sarah Jakes Roberts, also revealed in the social media post that he had counseled and prayed with Boseman on multiple occasions before the star’s surprising death.
As Faithfully Magazine reported at the time: “Boseman died of colon cancer at the age of 43 at home on August 28, 2020. He had been fighting the disease for four years, getting treatment and surgeries while delivering stellar performances on screen.”
Upon Boseman’s death, his family revealed that the late actor viewed his role as King T’Challa/the Black Panther as “the honor of his career.” He was the Black Panther in both the 2018 title film and in three other MCU movies.
It was apparent that Boseman was a man of faith, as he often publicly referenced the Bible and about turning to prayer — such as in his 2018 commencement remarks to students at his alma mater Howard University.
Boseman, reflecting on some of the challenges he faced early in his career, told students: “Sometimes you need to feel the pain and sting of defeat to activate the passion and purpose that God predestined inside of you.” He went on to quote Jeremiah 29: 11 to encourage them to keep pursuing their purpose. “When God has something for you, it doesn’t matter who stands against it,” he said.
The late actor portrayed such figures as Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall (“Marshall”), Jackie Robinson (“42”), and singer James Brown (“Get on Up”). His final role was in the animated Marvel series “What If…?” and the Netflix production of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” — for which he won several posthumous awards.
Boseman left an undeniable impression on viewers worldwide, and specifically Black Americans, with his powerful and majestic portrayal of Marvel’s Black Panther/King T’Challa. “Wakanda Forever” pays tribute to the beloved star throughout, and portrays T’Challa as having kept his fatal illness a secret — much like the actor in real life, who pushed through the disease to pursue his passion and God-given purpose.
