Spider-Man 2 Has A Touching Black Panther Tribute To Chadwick Boseman
Years on, the Marvel community continues to mourn the death of "Black Panther" star Chadwick Boseman. Boseman died at the age of 43 in 2020 due to colon cancer, and the actor has received several nods and tributes in various pieces of Marvel media since then, with arguably the most notable being 2022's "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever." These tributes aren't just limited to "Black Panther" projects either. As it turns out, the 2023 video game "Marvel's Spider-Man 2" has a special homage to Boseman nestled deep within the concrete jungle of New York City.
While swinging around the city, players may stumble upon the Wakandan Embassy — one of several nods to other Marvel superheroes and places-of-note that can be found in the game. The location actually includes a small interactable easter egg. Shared on X, formerly Twitter, if players go to the front of the building, they'll be prompted to press a button to "Honor." Doing so will cause Spidey to perform the Wakandan Salute, a clear tribute to Boseman and his character.
Insomniac has made tributes to Boseman before
This new tribute to Chadwick Boseman in "Marvel's Spider-Man 2" actually isn't the first time that Insomniac's games have included a touching nod to the actor. "Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales," which was released in 2020 mere months after Boseman's death, includes a number of references to the late actor.
Perhaps most notably, "Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales" changes the name of the street that the Wakandan Embassy is located on from 42nd Street to Boseman Way. The street's new moniker clearly references Boseman and his ties to the Black Panther character, but it also holds another veiled connection to the actor. Indeed, Boseman's role in the 2013 film "42," in which he portrays Jackie Robinson, is one of his most popular performances, so it's fitting that he would be honored on the formerly-titled 42nd Street. This change continues to be reflected in "Marvel's Spider-Man 2."
The end credits of "Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales" also include a very literal tribute to Boseman. At the conclusion of the credits, a message reads: "In loving memory of a noble king, Chadwick Boseman. His honor, strength, and compassion will reverberate for generations to come. Wakanda forever."