Comic book legend andSpawncreator Todd McFarlane has paid tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman. TheBlack Pantherstar passed away at the age of 43 very unexpectedly in August following a battler with cancer. Now, McFarlane has included a tribute to Boseman on the cover of an upcoming issue ofSpawn.
Todd McFarlane revealed the cover recently on his Facebook page. It features Al Simmons, the man behindSpawn, doing the famous Wakandan salute fromBlack Panther. McFarlane also included a statement along with the image, explaining why he felt the need to pay his respects with the cover forSpawn#311. Here’s what McFarlane had to say about it.
“Given the limited amount of minority characters in the comic industry today that are considered major Superheroes, I thought it appropriate for one of those well-known heroes (Spawn) to pay tribute to a man who made a lasting impact on helping shape such a strong superhero of color.”
“Chadwick Bosemanis a person who honed his skills and then made a career using them. Then he fought a fight against his own body that showed the true spirit of this man. We should all admire the traits Chadwick shared with us. And the inspiration he gave to millions of children around the globe who got to see a strong, meaningful and proud hero that looked like themselves.”
Aside from helping to create Image Comics, Todd McFarlane is known for his work with Marvel Comics in the 90s. ThoughTodd McFarlanenever worked onBlack Panther, his work inSpider-Manis truly legendary and he has a deep connection to that universe. What’s more, McFarlane has not done any work with Marvel since launching Image in the 90s. So having him pay tribute to the actor who brought T’Challa to life in the pages ofSpawncarries a lot of significance.
Todd McFarlane, meanwhile, is working on getting hisR-rated Spawn movieoff the ground. The project, which McFarlane intends to direct, has been in development for years. McFarlane has promised big updates soon but there is still no word on when filming will begin. Jamie Foxx is attached to play the role of Al Simmons.
Chadwick Boseman is best known for his role asT’Challain the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The actor first played the character inCaptian America: Civil Warbefore starring inBlack Panther, which went on to become a record-breaking success. It also made history as the first superhero movie to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Some of Boseman’s other credits include the James Brown biopicGet On Upand director Spike Lee’sDa 5 Bloods.
A mural honoring Chadwick Boseman’s memory was recently unveiled at Downtown Disney as well. Tributes have poured in ever since Boseman’s passing, which hit particularly hard given that he kept his illness a secret. Be sure to check out theSpawn#311 cover fromTodd McFarlane’s Facebook page.
