News of Chadwick Boseman's death over the weekend still feels like a really bad dream. You're expecting to wake up and find out this didn't happen because it's so shocking and unbelievable that someone that seemed so vibrant and full of life has left us at the age of 43. Boseman crafted a pretty successful career in a relatively short amount of time thanks to roles in films like 42, GET ON UP, and MARSHALL but to most his most iconic role will be that of King T'Challa aka Black Panther. In an honor that is truly fit for a king, Twitter officials have announced that the tweet from Boseman's official Twitter account that announced the news of his untimely passing, has now become the most well-liked Tweet of all time:
The above Tweet has received more than 3 million retweets so far, and more than 6.5 million likes, topping the stats of previous Tweets by Ellen DeGeneres, BTS, Barack Obama, and One Direction. Each one of these entities has held the title of 'Most liked Tweet' at various times in the past. Boseman's immense fan-following combined with the ultimate shock of his death is what has fueled the Tweet to the heights it has soared. The Tweet features a beautiful black and white photo of the actor and while the message is announcing his death, it's done so eloquently and with respect. The tweet showcases his strength and expresses how hard he worked knowing that he was battling colon cancer for four years as he did the most to work through it and not show weakness. This news was surprising and shocking for most of us but after the shock subsided, all we could do was admire the strength that Boseman possessed. He LIVED as he battled a death sentence and accomplished so much in the last four years as he attacked each moment as if it was his last. Boseman was truly motivating until the very end and that's something we will all remember as we honor his memory and career.
Boseman is said to have been battling colon cancer for the past four years, undergoing painful procedures several times a year in order to keep the disease at bay. In that time, Boseman starred in multiple action movies, did promotions all over the world for his films, and participated in several charitable endeavors that involved a lot of heavy traveling. In public, Boseman never seemed to waver although a lot of what he was doing was likely taking a toll on him. At the end of the day, this last Twitter stat doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things but it does show how much of a following he had all the world because he broke barriers. A film like BLACK PANTHER became much more than another entry in the MCU. It was a defining event film with a purpose to show that a predominately Black cast can make a film a true international hit and Boseman was their King every step of the way.