Much like everybody who got the unexpected news, Joe Rogan was completely shocked and hurt to hear that Chadwick Boseman had passed away. Boseman, who was only 43 years old, died last week after a private battle with colon cancer, sending a shockwave through the entertainment world.
The UFC commentator opened up on Boseman’s death on the debut episode of Unlocking the Cage with Jimmy Smith on SiriusXM, and ended up shedding some tears.
“When you see a person who was inspirational for so many … that movie meant so much to people,” said Rogan, who has worked for the UFC since 1997 (via MMA Mania). “It meant more to people than just a superhero movie because it was really the first all-black cast superhero movie. There’s such a disparity in terms of black superhero movies versus… there’s so many white superhero movies. That movie was a spectacular box-office success.
“As a human being outside of the movie, to be this guy who embodies what you would want from a movie star and a guy in a position of prominence and a guy who has a voice, to see him die at 43 of cancer—none of us had any idea—It speaks to his character that he would suffer in silence like that,” Rogan added. “He didn’t make a big deal out of trying to get through cancer.”
In addition to his starring role in Black Panther, Chadwick Boseman played many other important roles, including Jackie Robinson in 42 and James Brown in Get On Up.
