Chadwick Boseman will be remembered for his game-changing force in the movie industry. He emerged as one of the most well-known and well-respected actors in modern movies. Although many mostly recognize him for his superhero role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he had a wide range of movies. To honor his career, TechTrends decided to make a list of the best Chadwick Boseman movies of all time.
Chadwick Boseman, best known for his role in the Marvel movie Black Panther, passed away because of cancer at the age of 43 on August 28. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2016, but he never talked about it publicly. When fans and some of his celebrity friends found out that he was struggling with cancer in quiet, they became heartbroken. While dealing with his illness, he played in some renowned movies like Marvel blockbusters. Boseman kept his legacy alive with the movies he acted in. From fictional movies to historical ones, Boseman was not afraid of getting out of his comfort zone.
Ryan Coogler, the director of Black Panther, called Boseman an “epic firework display” and said, “I will tell stories about being there for some of the brilliant sparks till the end of my days.” To honor his career, we made a list of the best must-see Chadwick Boseman performances.
Best Chadwick Boseman Movies of All Time
Without a doubt, the late Chadwick Boseman brought something unique to the screen with his iconic roles, such as Black Panther and James Brown. During the time he was battling cancer, and before his death at the age of 43, he gave fans an impressive seven movies. Many praised his achievements, and he won several awards for his outstanding movies. Here are some of the best Chadwick Boseman movies of all time ranked by their ratings on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb.
12. 21 Bridges 2019
- Genre: Action/Crime
- Director: Brian Kirk
- Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Sienna Miller, Taylor Kitsch, Stephan James, J. K. Simmons
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 54%, IMDb 6.6
Chadwick Boseman played the role of an NYPD detective in the movie 21 Bridges. The reason he joined the force was to honor his father, who was killed on the job. He embarks on a manhunt for two cop-killing criminals who murdered some police officers during a robbery that went wrong. This is one of the best Chadwick Boseman movies of all time, and he features alongside Sienna Miller and J.K. Simmons. He was able to carry over plenty of the commanding presence that he showed in his role as Black Panther in the Marvel movies. If you are looking for an action movie worth watching, we recommend 21 Bridges.
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11. Draft Day 2014
- Genre: Sport/Drama
- Director: Ivan Reitman
- Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Kevin Costner, Jennifer Garner, Sean Combs, Tom Welling
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 60%, IMDb 6.8
The movie Draft Day revolves around an NFL draft, where General Manager Sonny Weaver wants to remake his team. However, when he takes the dreams of hundreds of young men into consideration, he has to see what is worth sacrificing. Kevin Costner is the lead in the movie, but Boseman has a supporting role alongside Jennifer Garner. This was Boseman’s first major role after he had his breakthrough in “42”, he is a college football player who is eager to be the number one pick. This is one of the best Chadwick Boseman movies ever.
10. The Express 2008
- Genre: Sport/Drama
- Director: Gary Fleder
- Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Rob Brown, Dennis Quaid, Padraic McKinley, Charles S. Dutton
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 62%, IMDb 7.2
Another one of the best Chadwick Boseman movies of all time is The Express. He played in many successful sports dramas over the years, and this one was a real-life story of Ernie Davis, the college football legend played by Rob Brown. He was the first African-American to become the Heisman Trophy winner. Boseman played the role of Floyd Little, which was one of the earlier roles of his career. He plays as a fellow Syracuse running back who established himself as one of the football legends.
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9. Get on Up 2014
- Genre: Drama/Music
- Director: Tate Taylor
- Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Viola Davis, Dan Aykroyd, Octavia Spencer, Nelsan Ellis
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 80%, IMDb 6.9
One of his most iconic roles came in the movie Get on Up where he played James Brown. The film revolves around the story of the singer’s life, from his rise from poverty to becoming the infamous musician he is remembered as now. Chadwick Boseman features alongside Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, and Dan Aykroyd in a great exploration of the figure. Boseman was able to capture the essence of the Godfather of Soul as James Brown in the move with his dance movies and high energy. This is indeed one of the best Chadwick Boseman movies of all time.
8. Marshall 2017
- Genre: Drama/Legal Drama
- Director: Reginald Hudlin
- Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Josh Gad, Kate Hudson, Sterling K. Brown
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 81%, IMDb 7.2
Marshall tells the tale of Thurgood Marshal in one of the most infamous parts of his career that happened before he became the first African-American Supreme Court Justice. Chadwick Boseman plays the role of Marshall and stars alongside Josh Gad, Kate Hudson, and Sterling K. Brown. The movie is about an African-American employee who gets accused of attacking his Caucasian boss. However, he wants to defend his innocence. Boseman was able to shine in this powerful role alongside the phenomenal cast. This is one of Chadwick Boseman’s greatest movie roles.
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7. 42 2013
- Genre: Sport/Drama
- Director: Brian Helgeland
- Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Harrison Ford, Nicole Beharie, Lucas Black
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 81%, IMDb 7.5
Chadwick Boseman portrays the role of Jackie Robinson in another Sports drama movie. He features as the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball. The film is tragic, riveting, and inspiring, and many believe that the performances made the movie successful. Boseman was outstanding in the movie and showcased his talent and charisma, with mainstream audiences noticing it for the first time. 42 is one of the best Chadwick Boseman movies of all time.
6. Avengers: Infinity War 2018
- Genre: Action/Sci-fi
- Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
- Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen, Tom Holland, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Pratt
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 85%, IMDb 8.4
The Avengers’ struggles with Thanos begin in Avengers: Infinity War. Tony Stark, Dr. Strange, Sider-Man, and some of the Guardians began fighting the Mad Titan in his homeworld. In this movie, Iron Man presented his sleeker and stronger nanotech suit for the first time. All cast members performed amazingly in this movie, with Chadwick Boseman continuing his role as Black Panther. He proved his badass skills in this movie and he was as amazing as always. With the help of Peter Parker, Iron Man was able to defeat one of the stronger pawns of Thanos, who kidnapped Dr. Strange. Thanos is believed to be the Avengers’ most powerful enemy yet, who is on the mission to get all six Infinity Stones. He wants to use it to realize his twisted wish.
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5. Captain America: Civil War 2016
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Director: Joe Russo, Anthony Russo
- Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Holland, Don Cheadle
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 90%, IMDb 7.8
In Captain America: Civil War, the Avengers, everyone’s favorite superhero team, split up because of a disagreement. There is team Cap, and there is team Iron Man. When these two collide, it becomes one hell of a superhero movie. This is one of the best Marvel movies as it shows the conflict between Iron Man and Captain America, which had been building up. Chadwick Boseman’s first appearance as Back Panther comes in this movie, and he allies with Captain America. Then, fans became interested in his character and stoke for a solo movie. This is indeed among the best Chadwick Boseman movies of all time.
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4. Da 5 Bloods 2020
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Director: Joe Russo, Anthony Russo
- Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Holland, Don Cheadle
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 90%, IMDb 7.8
Da 5 Bloods is known as one of the best Chadwick Boseman films of all time, according to Rotten Tomatoes. The movie is set in the Vietnam War and tells the story of a group of black soldiers called the Bloods, who try to hide gold to retrieve at a later time. The film focuses on their return trip to find the gold as well as the fallen members’ remains. There is a lot of heart, emotion, action, and tension involved in Da 5 Bloods, making it one of the actor’s greatest movies. Chadwick Boseman acts alongside Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters, and more. Boseman plays the supporting role of Stormin, Norman Earl Holloway, and he is a symbol of youth and hope in comparison with the other veterans.
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3. Avengers: Endgame 2019
- Genre: Sci-fi/Action
- Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
- Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Jeremy Renner, Chris Pratt, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Brie Larson, Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen, Tom Holland, Mark Ruffalo
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 94%, IMDb 8.4
The movie Avengers: Endgame starts with Iron Man in space for three weeks after Thanos’ Snap wiped out half the universe’s population. However, they get saved by Captain Marvel later in the movie. The rest of the Avengers, on the other hand, have to find out a way to bring their lost ones back. Black Panther, played by Chadwick Boseman, is among those who vanished. Although Boseman has little screen time in Endgame, there is no denying that this is one of the best Chadwick Boseman movies of all time. Boseman’s return in this movie was very emotional for the fans as it was the last time he played in the franchise.
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2. Black Panther 2018
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Director: Ryan Coogler
- Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong’o, Michael B. Jordan, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 96%, IMDb 7.3
It is not surprising that Black Panther is so high on the list as it made serious waves in the movie world. Chadwick Boseman played his most well-known character Black Panther in this movie and starred opposite Michael B. Jordan’s villain. People will remember Boseman for his role in this movie. Black Panther is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, one of the best Chadwick Boseman movies of all time. He became an icon, and the director of the movie paid his tribute to the late actor saying that Boseman wanted Wakandans to speak the native African language of Xhosa, and he was keen on playing his role with an African accent. Boseman was able to carry the weight of a kingdom with grace.
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1. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom 2020
- Genre: Drama/Music
- Director: George C. Wolfe
- Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Viola Davis, Taylour Paige, Colman Domingo
- Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 97%, IMDb 6.9
Unfortunately, this was the last movie Boseman played in, but it was still one of the best Chadwick Boseman movies of all time. The rating of the last movie he has ever released is so high. The film revolves around the Blues singer Ma Rainey, with her band gathering at a recording studio in Chicago in the 1920s. She has an argument with the manager about her own music, while the trumpeter, Levee, played by Boseman, shows his own desire to start a band, which has its own problems. The movie takes a detailed look at the music industry and its flaws.