First Chadwick Boseman slipped on the cleats of Jackie Robinson, then the Godfather of Soul鈥檚 dancing shoes, portraying both Black American icons with a searing intensity that commanded respect.

When the former playwright suited up as Black Panther, he brought cool intellectual gravitas to the Marvel superhero whose 鈥淲akanda forever!鈥� salute reverberated worldwide.

As his Hollywood career boomed, though, Boseman was privately undergoing 鈥渃ountless surgeries and chemotherapy鈥� to battle colon cancer, his family said in a statement announcing his death at age 43 on Friday. He鈥檇 been diagnosed at stage 3 in 2016 but never spoke publicly about it.

The cancer was there when his character T鈥機halla visited the ancestors鈥� 鈥渁stral plane鈥� in poignant scenes from the Oscar-nominated 鈥淏lack Panther,鈥� there when he first became a producer on the action thriller 鈥�21 Bridges,鈥� and there last summer when he shot an adaptation of a play by his hero August Wilson. It was there when he played a radical Black leader 鈥� seen only in flashbacks and visions 鈥� whose death is mourned by Vietnam War comrades-in-arms in Spike Lee鈥檚 鈥淒a 5 Bloods.鈥�

鈥淎 true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much,鈥� his family said. 鈥淚t was the honor of his career to bring King T鈥機halla to life in Black Panther.鈥� Boseman died at his home in the Los Angeles area with his wife and family by his side, his publicist Nicki Fioravante told The Associated Press.

Boseman is survived by his wife and a parent and had no children, Fioravante said.

Born and raised in South Carolina, where he played Little League baseball and AAU basketball, Boseman graduated from Howard University in Washington, DC. He wrote plays, acted and directed in theater and had small roles in television before landing his breakthrough role.

His striking portrayal of the color-line-demolishing baseball star Robinson opposite Harrison Ford in 2013鈥檚 鈥�42鈥� drew attention in Hollywood and made him a star. A year later, he wowed audiences as Brown in the biopic 鈥淕et On Up.鈥�

Boseman died on a day that Major League Baseball was celebrating Jackie Robinson day. 鈥淗is transcendent performance in 鈥�42鈥� will stand the test of time and serve as a powerful vehicle to tell Jackie鈥檚 story to audiences for generations to come,鈥� the league wrote in a tweet.

Expressions of shock and despair poured in late Friday from fellow actors, athletes, musicians, Hollywood titans, fans and politicians. Viola Davis, who acted alongside Boseman in 鈥淕et On Up鈥� and the upcoming Wilson adaptation, said: 鈥淐hadwick ... no words to express my devastation of losing you. Your talent, your spirit, your heart, your authenticity.鈥�

鈥淗e was a gentle soul and a brilliant artist, who will stay with us for eternity through his iconic performances,鈥� said Denzel Washington, who funded a scholarship Boseman used to study theater at Oxford and produced the upcoming Wilson film.

Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris, a Howard alumna, wrote the actor 鈥渨as brilliant, kind, learned, and humble. He left too early but his life made a difference.鈥�

Disney executive chairman Bob Iger called Boseman 鈥渁n extraordinary talent, and one of the most gentle and giving souls I have ever met.鈥�

鈥淐aptain America鈥� actor Chris Evans called Boseman 鈥渁 true original. He was a deeply committed and constantly curious artist. He had so much amazing work still left to create.鈥�

His T鈥機halla character was first introduced to the blockbuster Marvel cinematic universe in 2016鈥檚 鈥淐aptain America: Civil War,鈥� and his 鈥淲akanda forever鈥� salute became a pop culture landmark after the release of 鈥淏lack Panther鈥� two years ago.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think the world was ready for a 鈥楤lack Panther鈥� movie before this moment. Socially and politically, it wasn鈥檛 ready for it,鈥� he said at the time.

The film鈥檚 vision of Afrofuturism and the technologically advanced civilization of Wakanda resonated with audiences, some of whom wore African attire to showings and helped propel 鈥淏lack Panther鈥� to more than US$1.3 billion in global box office earning.

It is the only Marvel Studios film to receive a best picture Oscar nomination.

Boseman said he more easily identified with the film鈥檚 antagonist, played by Michael B. Jordan, who had been cut off from his ancestral roots: 鈥淚 was born with some Killmonger in me, and I have learned to T鈥機halla throughout my studies,鈥� he said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the place where you start. All African Americans, unless they have some direct connection, have been severed from that past. There鈥檚 things that cannot be tracked.

鈥淵ou were a product, sold. So it鈥檚 very difficult as an African American to connect at some points directly to Africa.鈥�

I have made that part of my search in my life. So those things were already there when I got into the role.鈥�

The character was last seen standing silently dressed in a black suit at Tony Stark鈥檚 funeral in 鈥淎vengers: Endgame.鈥� A 鈥淏lack Panther鈥� sequel had been announced, and was one of the studio鈥檚 most anticipated upcoming films.

Even at the outset of his Hollywood career, Boseman was clear-eyed about 鈥� and even skeptical of 鈥� the industry in which he would become an international star.

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have the same exact experience as a Black actor as you do as a white actor. You don鈥檛 have the same opportunities. That鈥檚 evident and true,鈥� he said while promoting 鈥�42.鈥� 鈥淭he best way to put it is: How often do you see a movie about a black hero who has a love story ... he has a spirituality.

鈥淗e has an intellect. It鈥檚 weird to say it, but it doesn鈥檛 happen that often.鈥�

鈥淏lack Panther,鈥� written and directed by Ryan Coogler, helped drive a conversation in Hollywood about the importance of featuring non-white characters in and hiring non-white filmmakers for its most high-profile films.

Actor Simu Liu, starring in Marvel鈥檚 first film centered on an Asian character, tweeted: 鈥淲ithout Chadwick, and what he gave to his character, there is no Shang Chi Period.

鈥淢y career rides on the coattails of a great man.鈥�