As one of the most well-loved actors of modern times, the loss of Chadwick Boseman was one that hit the industry pretty hard. Having made his name as the famous Black Panther comic book star, he brought an inspirational hero into the lives of so many young people around the world. His untimely death, then, was a major shock and blow for the industry as a whole. He was expected to be honoured with a posthumous Oscar for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, the final film that he shot.
However, when he wasn’t awarded for his (brilliant) performance, there was a huge backlash on social media and beyond. Many expected the night to essentially become a tribute to an actor who was surely on the path to legendary success. However, the award instead went to Anthony Hopkins for his role in The Father. Naturally, this caused a lot of aggression online – but the family of Boseman himself have spoken out about the backlash.
Despite the hope that it would end with a dramatic showing of the great work that Boseman produced, it instead ended up with a rather awkward Joaquin Phoenix picking up the award for Hopkins, who was at home in Wales.
However, it was made clear by Derrick Boseman, speaking on behalf of the family, that they were not “upset or agitated” about the decision and they even wished Hopkins and his family all the best. As they noted, they are sure that Hopkins would have done the same if Boseman had won instead.
For all the uproar, it was quickly shown that for the Boseman family it was enough to see the massive outpouring of love and affection for their beloved family member. Therefore, it might be time to move on for all involved – it would have been amazing to see Boseman given the attribution he deserves, but it wasn’t to be.