Chadwick Boseman’s Final Role In ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ Has Twitter Emotional

Chadwick Boseman's final performance is here. After the late actor suddenly passed away due to colon cancer in August 2020, many fans were surprised that his last turn on the big screen was still to come. Since the musical drama Ma Rainey's Black Bottom hit Netflix on Friday, Dec. 18, viewers got one last chance to see Boseman onscreen in a buzzy awards season role as ambitious trumpeter Levee. Many fans took to Twitter to express their respect and grief for the actor, and these tweets about Chadwick Boseman in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom are bittersweet.

Based on iconic playwright August Wilson's Broadway production of the same name, the movie follows the tensions that erupt between real-life blues performer Ma Rainey (played by Viola Davis), her band, and their controlling white managers over the course of one 1927 recording session in Chicago.

Boseman's Levee played the trumpet in Rainey's band, but had his own dreams of making a name for himself by starting a group of his own. As the story progressed, he voiced the struggles he's had making a name for himself in a white-dominated music industry and stirred drama by setting his eyes on Rainey's girlfriend.

The late actor is receiving plenty of well-deserved acclaim for his unforgettable performance from critics, and his fans seem to readily agree. Many viewers reacted strongly to Boseman's last performance on Twitter, calling for awards recognition and noting just how emotional seeing him in a new role one last time was.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is dedicated to Boseman, with an in-memoriam tribute at the end reading, "Dedicated to Chadwick Boseman in celebration of his artistry and heart."

With so much love for the actor's portrayal of Levee coming from critics, fans, and colleagues alike, there's a good chance he could win a posthumous Oscar when the 93rd Academy Awards take place in April 2021.

But no matter what happens come Oscars night, watching fans enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime actor's once-in-a-lifetime final role is plenty satisfying and moving on its own.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is on Netflix now.