A real life superhero.
Chadwick Boseman, who died at age 43 after a private battle with colon cancer in August, was honored at the MTV Movie & TV Awards: Greatest of All Time Special on Dec. 6. The Black Panther actor, who last appeared in the film Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, was given the posthumous award by his Marvel co-stars Don Cheadle and Robert Downey Jr. during the event over the weekend. The intention of the award was to honor a star "whose heroism on-screen was only surpassed by the true hero they were off-screen."
In the tribute message, Robert said, "The second you first saw him onscreen or had the opportunity to meet him in person, his energy and intensity was undeniable. There was something different and special about Chadwick Boseman."
Don added that each time Chadwick stepped on the set he "inspired and influenced everyone there." Robert went on to note that Chadwick "truly embodied what it meant to be a superhero."
"His impact as a groundbreaking leading man, as an icon onscreen," he continued, "it won't be quantified by the box office records he broke but by the legion of fans who will celebrate him for many years to come."
Recently, Chadwick was also honored with a nomination at the Gotham Awards for his role in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. His brother Kevin Boseman, 48, spoke out about the actor's nod on Instagram, writing, "After screening this with him, I told him he was about to get all the nominations and... I was so faithful he'd be here to experience this moment. Congratulations, Baby Brother."
On November 29, the Marshall star's Marvel co-stars honored Chadwick on what would have been the his 44th birthday by sharing a video of the cast of Avengers: Infinity War celebrating his big day the year before on set.
"Thinking of your passion, love, and your light today, @ChadwickBoseman," Mark Ruffalo, who plays the Incredible Hulk in the superhero franchise, wrote in the caption of the video. "Happy Birthday. Wishing we could time travel back to this moment."
Chadwick's death came as a shock to fans, who had no idea the actor was battling cancer. He appeared to hint at his health struggle in a 2017 interview with The Huffington Post, in which a reporter noted how challenging it must have been for him to bulk up for the Black Panther film.
"Oh, you don't even know," Chadwick said. "You have no idea. One day I'll live to tell the story."