Chadwick Boseman will be honored at the famous D23 Expo, joining a long list of people celebrated for contributing to the Disney legacy.
A King has been added to the Disney Legends roster. As ABC7News reports, Chadwick Bosemanthe late star of Black Pantherwill receive an honorary award reserved for those who have impacted Disney’s legacy.
It goes without saying that the actor has made a lasting mark on the world of cinema and pop culture by playing, with accuracy and power, the title role of Black Panther, King T’Challa, emblematic figure of the MCU – and so from Disney.
On the Marvel side, he thus succeeds Stan Leewho received the award in 2017, and Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Favreauwho both received it in 2019.
But the ruler of Wakanda will not be the only one honored. Other high-profile winners this year include, among others, four of the franchise’s talented actors Snow Queen, Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad and Jonathan Groff.
On the television side, the stars of Grey’s Anatomy, Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey are also on the list. Another ABC TV couple will also be celebrated: Tracee Ellis Ross and Anthony Anderson comedy Black-ish.
The new Disney legends of 2022 will therefore be honored at a ceremony organized by Tamron Hall on the occasion of Expo D23 which will take place on September 9, 10 and 11 in Anaheim, California.
WHAT IS THE DISNEY LEGENDS PRIZE?
The Disney Legends Award is therefore given to individuals who have made an extraordinary contribution to the Disney legacy. The program began in 1987 with Fred MacMurray who thus became the first Disney Legend.
Including this year’s winners, 304 Disney Legends have since been named, always during a special private ceremony held each year until 2009, then every two years after that date, at the famous Expo D23.
Some of the most famous previous recipients of the award include Kurt Russell, Betty White, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Johnny Depp, george lucas, Carrie Fisher, Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Bette Midler and James Earl Jones movie side, Alan Menken, Phil Collins, Sir Elton John and Hans Zimmer on the music side, or Steve Jobs.
A special selection committee, made up of longtime Disney executives, historians and other authorities, decides the winners.
Each laureate receives a statuette there, which is handcrafted from bronze each year. Designed by Andrea Favilli, the trophy represents Mickey Mouse’s arm holding a star-tipped wand. Three distinct elements characterize the contributions made by each recipient: a spiral represents imagination and the power of an idea, Mickey’s hand represents the gifts of skill, discipline and know-how and the starry wand represents magic. and the spark that is ignited when imagination and skill combine to create a new dream – as Disney describes it.
In addition to the statuette, the honored are also represented by a bronze commemorative plaque featuring their handprints and signature or simply an image of the statuette’s emblem if the enthronement is posthumous.
The plaques are then displayed at the Legends Plaza at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, across from the Michael D. Eisner Building.
To rewatch Chadwick Boseman’s performance in Black Panther, head over to Disney+.