Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman has died of cancer at the age of just 43, his family have confirmed.

In a statement posted to his Twitter, they revealed the actor had been diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016. He'd been battling with the illness for the last four years as it progressed to stage IV.


The actor never spoke publicly about his diagnosis. He is survived by his wife Taylor.

Boseman managed to shoot and star in several films while undergoing numerous surgeries and chemotherapy.

He's best known for playing King T'Challa in Black Panther as well as other films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but recently starred in Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods.

The 43-year-old was set to star in Black Panther 2, which was due to be released in 2022. The first film, released in 2018, was hugely successful at the box office and received seven Oscar nominations including Best Motion Picture.

He also had prominent roles in Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Boseman was beloved by fans for bringing the Wakandan king to life on the big screen.