"Black Panther" Star Chadwick Boseman Dies Of Cancer

Chadwick Boseman, who was in his 40s, had not publicly discussed his condition -- which was first diagnosed in 2016 -- and continued to work on major Hollywood films.

Black Panther

Washington: 

Chadwick Boseman, star of the ground-breaking superhero movie "Black Panther," has died after a private four-year battle with colon cancer, his publicist told AFP Friday.

Boseman, 43, never publicly discussed his condition and continued to work on major Hollywood films during and between "countless" operations and chemotherapy, his family said in a statement.

"It was the honor of his career to bring King T'Challa to life in 'Black Panther,'" they said.

Black Panther & Thor

Boseman became the first black superhero to get

  his own standalone film in the record-breaking Marvel franchise with 2018's "Black Panther."

The movie, set in the fictional African kingdom of Wakanda, was adored by critics and audiences, becoming the first comic book film to be nominated for best picture at the Oscars and grossing over $1 billion worldwide.