Chadwick Bosemandied two years ago, and he’s still on everyone’s minds as he was an incredible actor, but especiallya lovely person whose life affected many. His T’Challa showed the power of movies, as his performance made us believe in poised, intelligent, just, decent leaders. Boseman played many other roles, and today we’re here to talk about those other non-Wakandan MCU performances (T’Challa would be at the top of the list otherwise). Boseman could play real-life heroes, unique Black characters who change history with their talents, and show what made them special (Thurgood Marshall, Jackie Robinson, and James Brown). Let’s celebrate Boseman’s performances and acting talents, ranking his non-MCU performances.
7Draft Day (2014)
OnDraft Day, Sonny Weaver Jr (Kevin Costner) has the first pick in the draft, and has to make some moves if he wants to keep his job as the Cleveland Browns General Manager. Boseman plays Vontae Mack, one of the best options for Weaver to pick at one, other than Bo Callahan (Josh Pence). Boseman plays his character with all the coolness and swagger in the world, as he knows he’s the best athlete and should bethechoice. A small, but essential performance in this movie that is as realistic about the draft asCocktailis about bartending.
621 Bridges (2019)
Andre Davis (Boseman) is a homicide detective who closes the21 Bridgesin Manhattan to capture two cop killers during one long night. For Davis, the badge is duty, honor, and sacrifice, and he’ll do anything necessary to take out the department’s corruption. Boseman is stoic, vulnerable, surprised, smart, and shows why he might’ve been a good action hero lead if his health would’ve permitted it.
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5Marshall (2017)
In his third biographical movie, Boseman plays the real-life hero Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Supreme Court Justice.Marshalltells the story of Marshall’s first major case: The State of Connecticut v. Joseph Spell, and what happened during that historic case. Boseman plays the character with the elegance and gravitas it deserved, and even asked Marshall’s family for permission to play such an important role.
4Da 5 Bloods (2020)
Four Black Vietnam vets go back to where they fought the war in search of the remains of its fallen squad leader, Stormin’ Norman (Boseman), and some gold they hid back then. Boseman only appears in flashbacks, but his character still reverberates to the rest of his team inone of Spike Lee’s best movies ever.Da 5 Bloodshas an incredible cast: Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters, Isiah Witlock Jr., Jonathan Majors, and Boseman, who plays his character as someone fierce, loyal, magnetic with an incredibly charismatic performance that makes us understand why Stormin’ Norman was still in everyone’s head all those years later.
When Boseman shot the movie, he was already sick, although he didn’t tell anyone.Spike Lee told Variety: “I understand why Chadwick didn’t tell me because he didn’t want me to take it easy. If I had known, I wouldn’t have made him do the stuff. And I respect him for that.”
342 (2013)
If in your first leading role ever you have to play Jackie Robinson and do it with such realism and charisma that even his wife lauds you for your performance, that means you’re special. Boseman’s performance as the first Black baseball player in42showed he was ready for some incredible future roles.This movie honors Black History Month, while showing what made Robinson special, not only on the field, but off it. Bold and humble, he was someone who made history, and Boseman’s performance captures all different sides of the person, the player, and the myth.
2Get On Up (2014)
Get On Uptells the story of the one and only, the Godfather of Soul himself, James Brown, using a non-linear structure to show us all the most important moments of his life, good or bad. James Brown is not only one of the best performances for Boseman, but also proof of his incredible range as Brown and Jackie Robinson couldn’t be more different characters and personalities, and the actor was able to be both. InGet On Up,Boseman is brash, electric, frenetic, and he even did all the dancing and some of the singing inone of the best biopics about black music icons. DirectorTate Taylor told IndieWire: “He let himself go in his performance without any sense that people were watching him. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen. He stayed in character not because that was his method, but because he became James Brown.”
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1Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020)
Based on a play of the same name by August Wilson,Ma Rainey’s Black Bottomshows a one-afternoon session recording of Ma Rainey (an excellent Viola Davis) and her band. Including a freewheeling, hot-headed trumpeter named Levee Green (Boseman). This film is not onlyone of the best movies about the American dreambut also a great excuse for all the actors in it to exercise their acting muscles as the full cast have spectacular performances. Above all, is Boseman, in a role that is optimistic and afraid, excited and weary, fun and prideful, powerful and scared in a performance for the ages.
His acting in the film got Boseman many, many posthumous awards, and many thought it would also get him the Academy Award for Best Actor, and most were surprised when the award went to Anthony Hopkins. This final role also showed us all the talent and incredible performances Boseman still had in him, robbing us of many more unique characters and biopics. As Spike Lee said in an interview about casting him: “Here’s the thing for me. This character is heroic; he’s a superhero. Who do we cast? We cast Jackie Robinson, James Brown, and Thurgood Marshall, and we cast T’Challa. Chad is a superhero!” He will always be remembered, as a superhero, as a real hero, as the one and only Chadwick Boseman.
