I didn’t know when or if I would add another Hot Toys figure to my collection after getting the Mark XLIV Hulk-Buster for my wedding anniversary from my wife, but, on Christmas Morning just two months later, my 17th Hot Toys figure was waiting for me under the tree!
Following his death on August 28, 2020, adding Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa to my collection became much more urgent as prices on this figure skyrocketed after his tragic passing. I wanted this specific Hot Toys Black Panther figure from the Black Panther movie specifically because it came with the Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa head sculpt.
Black Panther was such an important movie for so many people, and I thought Chadwick Boseman was perfectly cast as T’Challa. He made his debut in Captain America: Civil War and quickly won me over with his performance in that film. The nobility and the conviction with which he played the character really made T’Challa stand out as a Marvel Hero and then Boseman went out and topped his performance in Black Panther and cemented himself as an instant legend within the comic book movie genre.
I don’t think any of Chadwick’s fans ever imagined that he would pass in 2020 at the age of 43. He had such presence not only as an actor, but seemingly whenever he walked into a room. He seemed like a genuinely good person with a big heart and a kind soul, and he was so phenomenal as T’Challa, Marvel Studios made the bold decision to never recast this specific Black Panther role following his death; something I fully agreed with at the time, given the cultural impact that Chadwick had as Marvel Studios’ Black Panther.
Anyway, I was thrilled to receive this figure and never expected it, given how hard this figure had gotten to come by. It is a beautifully made Hot Toys piece from the head sculpt to the Black Panther costume itself. This figure also came with a glorious box and a really unique stand that allows Black Panther’s suit to glow when exposed to black light.
It’s a really cool effect and this was such a wonderful Christmas gift that will always be a cherished part of my collection.
R.I.P. Chadwick and Wakanda Forever!
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