Anthony Mackie hasn't seen Chadwick Boseman's final film, his untimely death in August 2020 at 43. The actor had long suffered from colon cancer, but hadn't revealed that to those around him.
Boseman rose to stardom after his debut as T'Challa a.k.a. Black Panther in 2016's Captain America: Civil War. He went on to star in a solo film, Black Panther, in 2018. That film garnered a nomination for Best Picture at the 2019 Academy Awards. Boseman went on to reprise his role in the MCU in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame before starring in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.
Mackie, who starred alongside Boseman in three of his MCU films, says he has yet to see Boseman's last film. Mackie opened up about Boseman to Extra, discussing their years long friendship that began in the late 90s. Mackie, who starred in a 2003 Broadway revival of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, says watching the film would be too emotional of a watch at this stage in the grieving process.
I haven't seen it yet. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom holds a very special place… With the relationship to that… and my relationship to Chad, I haven't been able to pull myself to the point, emotionally, to be able to sit and take that experience in, because I wouldn't be able to watch it for the performance and the art; it would just be too emotional of a process for me.
Boseman's performance in the film has sparked talks of a potential posthumous Oscar for his role, but he likely would've been in the awards race anyway. Boseman's career, while short, was full of stunning performances that proved the actor was more than capable at handling both blockbuster franchises like the MCU and more intimate roles like the one in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. Boseman goes head-to-head with Davis in the film and the tragic story of his character only underscores the tragedy of his early death.
In the film, Boseman's character, Levee Green, is a trumpeter in Ma Rainey's band, but he has his sights set on bigger things. Levee longs to break free of Ma Rainey's band and start his own career as a successful jazz musician. The story ends in tragedy, as Levee stabs one of his fellow bandmates after hours of pent up frustration between the group. Boseman's performance is heart-wrenching and Mackie's reticence to watch the film makes sense. Boseman will make one final appearance in Marvel's animated series What If..? but Ma Rainey's Black Bottom will live on as Boseman's final tour de force.
Source: Extra
