Jackson superhero fans remember the legacy of late actor Chadwick Boseman

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Marvel’s Black Panther superhero movie broke records in 2018.

Thousands of people dressed up and filled movie theaters around the country to watch actor Chadwick Boseman bring him to life.

“[Black Panther] is one of the smartest superheroes in the Marvel Universe. A ruling King in his own nation of Wakanda. He’s like one of the first major Black superheroes,” said Phillip Rollins.

He owns a comic book and record store in Jackson called Offbeat. Rollins said the excitement for Black Panther was especially felt by the Black community; “it was an all-Black cast, Black director, all of that. And so it was like it was very important to see that and support that on the screen.”

Boseman died on Friday at the age of 43 after a four-year battle with colon cancer.

In that time, he filmed several movies while receiving treatment and undergoing surgeries.

“I had to like stop looking at social media for the rest of the night when I heard the news,” said Rollins; “it was just -- it was getting to the point that it was just sad. Everybody was just sad. There has been enough bad news already and I just couldn’t take it at the time.”

Black Panther is just one of many superheroes Boseman played on the big screen.

He was singer James Brown in Get On Up, which was filmed in Mississippi.

“He played almost every hero that he could from Jackie Robinson to James Brown, Thurgood Marshall. These are important figures in our lives and they’re superheroes in their own right,” said Rollins.

Many people are mourning the loss of the big time actor Chadwick Boseman, but Rollins believes his legacy will live on.

“Watch Black Panther with the same enthusiasm and Civil War with the same enthusiasm as when you first saw it. Because that’s what he would want. He left a legacy behind so we can have other Black superheroes on the big screen,” said Rollins.

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