Disney honored the late Chadwick Boseman by unveiling a new mural of the Black Panther star at the Anaheim Downtown Disney location.
The mural, which was created by former Disney Imagineer Nikkolas Smith, features Boseman doing his infamous Wakanda salute with a young child who is sporting a Black Panther mask and a hospital gown. Smith shared photos of the completed mural to his Instagram account.
“As a former Disney Imagineer, I had the honor of working on a major children’s hospital initiative and Avengers Campus as my final two assignments,” read Smith’s inscription on the painting. “Seeing Chadwick’s heart for people in-person, and later discovering his courageous battle with cancer, I was inspired to create this tribute to honor his life and legacy. To us, he was and will always be T’Challa. Long Live The King.”
On Aug. 28, Boseman’s family announced that he passed away after silently fighting a four-year battle with colon cancer. The 42 actor passed away at his Los Angeles home with his wife and other family members by his side. “A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much,” his family said in the statement.
“From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and several more — all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy. It was the honor of his career to bring King T’Challa to life in Black Panther.”
A few days after his death, he was reportedly laid to rest at the Welfare Baptist Church Cemetery in Belton, South Carolina — just 11 miles from his hometown of Anderson, South Carolina.
Disneyland’s main park is currently closed due to COVID-19, however Anaheim’s Downtown Disney section is open to the public. Check out the mural below.