Chadwick Boseman Mural Unveiled in Downtown Disney

California’s Downtown Disney is honouring the tragically deceased Chadwick Boseman with a large mural.

“King Chad” was created by former Disney Imagineer Nikkolas Smith and depicts Boseman, who played King T’Challa in Black Panther, giving a Wakanda salute to a child wearing a hospital gown and a Black Panther mask.

Boseman, who died last month at 43 following a battle with colon cancer, had famously visited with children at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Check out the Chadwick Boseman mural below:

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Earlier today, concept artist @Nikkolas_Smith was among the first to see his artwork, “King Chad,” displayed in #DowntownDisney. The art installation pays tribute to ‘Black Panther’ star Chadwick Boseman with the inscription:   “As a former Disney Imagineer, I had the honor of working on a major children's hospital initiative and Avengers Campus as my final two assignments. Seeing Chadwick's heart for people in-person, and later discovering his courageous battle with cancer, I was inspired to create this tribute to honor his life and legacy. To us, he was and will always be T'Challa. Long Live The King.”
 
A post shared by  Walt Disney Imagineering (@waltdisneyimagineering) on Sep 24, 2020 at 10:39am PDT
 

“This one is special. My King Chad tribute is now on a wall on display at Downtown Disney,” Smith wrote on Instagram Thursday. “It is a full-circle moment for me: my final two projects as a Disney Imagineer last summer were working on the Children’s Hospital project and the Avengers Campus.”

“To millions of kids, T’Challa was a legend larger than life, and there was no one more worthy to fill those shoes than Chadwick Boseman. I’m so thankful to be able to honour Chadwick’s life and purpose in this way.”

Boseman’s death shocked the Hollywood community and his countless fans, as the actor had never publicly revealed his cancer diagnosis. His “Black Panther” co-star, Michael B. Jordan, reflected on the loss in an emotional social media post, remarking, “I wish we had more time.”