Marvel Studios
Following the news of Chadwick Boseman’s sudden and tragic passing — the Black Panther star passed away on Friday at the age of 43-years-old following a four-year-battle with cancer — fans across the globe have been watching all of Boseman’s movies and past interviews as a way to both pay homage and say goodbye to the beloved actor.
Of those interviews going re-viral is an appearance Boseman made last November, where he revealed that before being cast in the iconic role of T’Challa, he originally auditioned for a much different role entirely: the loud-mouthed, unfiltered Drax the Destroyer in Guardians of the Galaxy.
“It was just good to come in and play and see what they did with it. Sometimes that’s the way it works as an actor. You go in knowing you’re not going to get it, but you know you’re meeting the people that are going to be like, ‘He’s not this, but we’ll put him in this other thing’. I feel like that was one of the moments where they were like, ‘We can use him later’,” Boseman told Fallon.
While the above video from The Tonight Show is the topic of this article, it’s far from the only Boseman/Tonight Show clip making the rounds, as a video of him surprising Black Panther fans as they expressed their appreciation for both him and the historic MCU film went viral over the weekend as fans mourned Boseman’s sudden passing.
It’s clear that Boseman’s loss is resonating so deeply because he was more than just an actor, he was a cultural icon. Because while he spent his final years bringing icons to life, he became one in his own right. Rest in greatest power, Chadwick. We’ll all miss you. Wakanda Forever.
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