Long Live the King: A Look Back at Chadwick Boseman's Best Roles

Boseman steps up to bat as Jackie Robinson – the first Black person to play in Major League Baseball – in this biographical sports film that earned the actor widespread acclaim.

This film details the drama that ensues when Sonny Weaver Jr. (Kevin Costner), the general manager of the National Football League’s Cleveland Browns, must choose which rising star athlete to draft. Boseman plays Vontae Mack, one of the sought-after prospects.

Boseman transforms into the legendary James Brown in this biographical musical drama. The actor was so dedicated to the role, he spent two months learning how to sing and dance to wholly embody the Godfather of Soul.

Boseman’s character Jacob King travels to Los Angeles to investigate his sister’s disappearance while seeking revenge on those responsible for it.

Boseman brings to life the galvanizing story of Thurgood Marshall, a civil-rights activist and the first Black justice to serve on the Supreme Court. The film focuses on Marshall’s (Boseman) early career as a lawyer for the NAACP when he teams up with Sam Friedman (Josh Gad) to represent Black chauffeur Joseph Spell (Sterling K. Brown), who is accused of sexual assault and attempted murder. Boseman’s emotional performance won him a BET Award for best actor and an NAACP Image Award nomination for outstanding actor in a motion picture.

Marvel’s Black Panther explores the fictional African nation of Wakanda as T’Challa (Boseman) takes his place as king after the death of his father. One of Boseman’s most culturally moving works, the film earned him several award wins, including a BET Award for best actor, a Black Reel Award for outstanding actor, an NAACP Image Award for outstanding actor in a motion picture, two MTV Movie & TV Awards for best performance in a movie and best hero, a People’s Choice Award for favorite male movie star, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture. Additionally, Boseman’s performance helped Black Panther make history as the first superhero movie to ever be nominated in the best picture category at the Golden Globe Awards.

Boseman also dons the panther costume in Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Boseman portrays Andre Davis, an NYPD detective who earns a reputation for taking down cop killers, in 21 Bridges. In an unprecedented pursuit of two suspects – which involves shutting down all of Manhattan’s 21 bridges – Andre begins to question who the criminals really are as he uncovers secrets within his own camp.