It’s only natural that Disney opened the 2022 D23 Expo with the greatest fan event of the weekend: the Disney Legends Awards Ceremony, after a two-year break due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

Around 7,000 Disney (and Marvel and Star Wars) fans waited in line outside Hall D23 at the Anaheim Convention Center to see the Class of ’22 inductees, which included the late Chadwick Boseman, who passed away in August 2020 during the award ceremonies’ unforeseen break.

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At the culmination of the two-hour programme, which also honoured the casts of Grey’s Anatomy, Black-ish, and Frozen, Boseman was inducted. But what received a standing ovation was the tribute to Chadwick Boseman. Derrick Boseman, a preacher, who is Chadwick Boseman’s brother, accepted the honour. Derrick Boseman approached the stage to pay tribute to his late brother after a montage of highlights from Boseman’s brief but significant career as Marvel’s Black Panther.

“As I think about this honor being bestowed upon him, I wish he was here to receive it. Him not being here has been a point of immense pain for my whole family,” said Boseman to the quiet crowd. “But I think about how he honored his parents, his family, his friends — he made sure his friends also had good careers. How he honored all the contracts he signed, except for the last one. He honored them with his blood, sweat, tears, as he played these roles and was taking chemo at the same time. Chad was an amazing person. Him being honored today is no surprise to me because he spent his life, from childhood until today, always being recognized and receiving honors. He honored his widow. He was so strong, even in his last days, six days before he died, he honored the promise he made to her and he married her.”

Derrick proceeded by stating that he sees his brother’s legacy as an example of how life imitates art. Derrick claims his mother delivered the speech instead of him, even though it was meant to be his. “To me, you and daddy are also legends. It takes a king and a queen to create a king.” Standing ovations followed the moving statement as Derrick Boseman took pictures with Disney CEO Bob Chapek.

The Frozen actor Josh Gad, who was also inducted into the Disney Legends earlier that evening, thanked his “friend up there, Chadwick Boseman,” during his address.

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Over 300 people have received the Disney Legends honour since it was established in 1987 for its enormous contributions to the great world of Disney. It is fitting that Boseman would be recognised at the first celebration following his unexpected loss because he made the Marvel superhero Black Panther into a once-in-a-generation cultural icon and Oscar-nominated phenomenon. The distinction comes only a week after Boseman received a posthumous Emmy for his portrayal of Star-Lord T’Challa in Disney+’s What If…?

Anthony Anderson, Kristen Bell, Patrick Dempsey, Josh Gad, Jonathan Groff, Idina Menzel, Ellen Pompeo, and Tracee Ellis Ross were also recognised during the ceremony, along with music producer Chris Montan, attorney Robert Price “Bob” Foster, Imagineers Rob’t Coltrin and Doris Hardoon, and producer Don Hahn.