Chadwick Boseman's Emmy Win Receives Major Backlash, "He Only Won Cause He Passed" - Inside the Magic

It seems that some people are unhappy with Chadwick Boseman’s win at the Emmys for his last-ever performance.

During the 2022 Emmy Awards this year, the Television Academy recognized Marvel’s Disney+ Original series What If…? (2022) for the late actor Chadwick Boseman’s portrayal of King T’Challa from the (now controversial) Black Panther franchise within Marvel Studios’ Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Chadwick Boseman was awarded the Emmy for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance posthumously, as 2022 marks the second year since the beloved actor’s passing. The Emmy was awarded for Boseman’s work in the episode, What If… T’Challa Became a Star-Lord?, which featured the young Wakandan Prince T’Challa being taken by the Guardians of the Galaxy‘s Ravagers and Yondu Udonta (Michael Rooker) — the same way that the main MCU universe’s Star-Lord/Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) was.

Related: ‘Black Panther 2’: Chadwick Boseman’s Brother Says Marvel Must Recast T’Challa

The official Marvel Studios Twitter shared the following great piece of news for the Marvel Cinematic Universe:

Thank you to the Television Academy for recognizing the outstanding work of our King, the late Chadwick Boseman. #Emmys

i mean this with no disrespect, he only won cause he passed.

— Dinky Scent (@DinkyScent) September 4, 2022

Boseman’s King T’Challa originally starred in the character’s first Marvel Cinematic Universe solo film, Black Panther (2018), as the King and superhero protector of the African nation of Wakanda, alongside Lupita Nyong’o as T’Challa’s lover Nakia, Danai Gurira as Dora Milaje warrior Okoye, Martin Freeman as Everett K. Ross, Daniel Kaluuya as W’Kabi, Forest Whitaker as Zuri, Andy Serkis as Ulysses Klaue, Letitia Wright as Princess Shuri, Winston Duke as M’Baku, and Angela Bassett as Ramonda, Queen Mother of Wakanda. Boseman’s T’Challa faced up against antagonist Michael B. Jordan as N’Jadaka / Erik “Killmonger” Stevens, before finally having to see his cousin die.

Now, this Emmy news has sparked some backlash among users online.

Twitter user @DinkyScent replies, criticizing the Emmy win:

i mean this with no disrespect, he only won cause he passed.

i mean this with no disrespect, he only won cause he passed.

— Dinky Scent (@DinkyScent) September 4, 2022

While user @DancingDog brings up the #RecastTChalla movement we’ve covered previously, asking Marvel Studios to recast Wakanda’s King in the Marvel Cinematic Universe:

And now Marvel wants to get rid of the character he so wonderfully portrayed. Just because we lost Chadwick doesn’t mean we have to lose the fictional character of #TChalla. #RecastTChalla and let the CHARACTER live on as a tribute. Thank you.

And now Marvel wants to get rid of the character he so wonderfully portrayed. Just because we lost Chadwick doesn't mean we have to lose the fictional character of #TChalla. #RecastTChalla and let the CHARACTER live on as a tribute. Thank you.

— DancingDog (@ThedancingDog60) September 4, 2022

Related: ‘Black Panther’ Actor Reacts to Being Cut from ‘Wakanda Forever’

And user @aBu7253 adds, discussing whether they thought Boseman’s award was justified:

Undeserving.. he won, cus he died

Undeserving.. he won, cus he died pic.twitter.com/YQgsB3CiBH

— Drifting Lebawski (@aBu7253) September 4, 2022

@Mandal00031241 also adds that they thought “Chadwicks voice performance sucked” compared to more deserving actors:

Chadwicks voice performance sucked, there was nothing outstanding about it(but that’s just me). Benedict Cumberbatch, Ross Marquand and Jeffery Wright delivered outstanding performances.

Chadwicks voice performance sucked, there was nothing outstanding about it(but that’s just me). Benedict Cumberbatch, Ross Marquand and Jeffery Wright delivered outstanding performances.

— Mandalorian (@Mandalo00031241) September 4, 2022

It’s clear that there all this critique over the “deserved”-ness of Chadwick Boseman’s posthumous award speaks to a lot of rising tensions that the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film directed by Ryan Coogler, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) has been facing lately.

The position of many protesting this news is that the Emmy was only given as a “pity award”, and that it is unfair to other contestants, or even an insult to Chadwick Boseman himself, for “using the memory of the actor”, as @Mad_Tobz says:

Shame you didn’t until after he passed, and now using the memory of the actor just to sell and promote yourselves, which you’re doing now nearer the release of Black Panther 2, then you’ll go quiet with him until if and when you release Black Panther 3.

Shame you didn't until after he passed, and now using the memory of the actor just to sell and promote yourselves, which you're doing now nearer the release of Black Panther 2, then you'll go quiet with him until if and when you release Black Panther 3. https://t.co/6TnCpSNcDe

— 𝕱𝖑𝖎𝖓𝖙 (@Mad_Tobz) September 4, 2022

The #RecastTChalla movement continues to pick up speed, as the new flick is set to premiere November 11, and will deal heavily with King T’Challa’s death, as shown in the trailer for the movie.

Time will have to tell regarding Marvel Studios’ final response in the matter — whether the character may be revived (and recast) somehow through the MCU’s Multiverse Saga and the upcoming Phase Five and Phase Six plotlines.

What do you think of Chadwick Boseman’s posthumous Emmy win? Share your thoughts in the comments below!