Chadwick Boseman, the actor who brought Black Panther to life, died after a long battle with cancer. The actor has been battling colon cancer since 2016 and died at home with his family and wife by his side, according to a statement posted on his Twitter account.

Boseman, 43, never publicly discussed his condition and continued to work on major Hollywood films during and between “countless” operations and chemotherapy, his family said in a statement.

“A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you so many of the films you have come to love so much,” the statement said. “From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and several more, all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy.” The statement also said the role of King T’Challa was the “honour of (Boseman’s) career.”

Boseman became the first black superhero to get his own standalone film in the record-breaking Marvel franchise with 2018’s “Black Panther.”

The movie, set in the fictional African kingdom of Wakanda, was adored by critics and audiences, becoming the first comic book film to be nominated for best picture at the Oscars and grossing over $1 billion worldwide.

The Marvel film was celebrated as an important cultural moment for its mainly black cast, and for subverting stereotypes by depicting a prosperous African country that takes in refugees and extends its culture and technology to poorer nations.

Before Marvel, he was best known for the acclaimed portrayal of the legendary Robinson in Brian Helgeland’s “42” (2013), which had the highest-grossing debut for a baseball movie in Hollywood history. He was also lavished with praise for his interpretation of soul singer Brown in “Get on Up” (2014), earning inclusion among the top 10 performances of 2014 by Time magazine.

The news of Boseman’s death has sent shockwaves through Hollywood and around the world.