This month’s issue of EMPIRE magazine is a very special tribute to actor and filmmaker Chadwick Boseman and marks the first tribute issue in the title’s 31-year history.

In honour of the Black Panther star who died of colon cancer aged 43 in August, the November issue of EMPIRE will feature personal remembrances from Boseman’s screen collaborators, plus a look back at the iconic roles he portrayed over his career – from Thurgood Marshall to James Brown and beyond – as well as revisiting their interview experiences with the man himself.

The special subscriptions cover below was created exclusively for EMPIRE by London-based Nigerian artist Kingsley Nebechi, celebrating Chadwick Boseman and his most beloved roles. “He truly embodies strength and humility”, Kingsley told the EMPIRE team. “I wanted the artwork to reflect his versatility”.

This month’s newsstand cover, on sale on Thursday, 1 October, features Chadwick photographed by Kwaku Alston, an American photographer who has portrayed some of the most famous faces of our time—from Oscar and Grammy winners to Barack Obama and the First Family:

EMPIRE Editor in Chief Terri White commented on Chadwick’s untimely death: “His legacy, you sense, is more profound than any of us can even see yet. And while ours is a poorer world for his absence, he will live on in the generations that follow. And we’ll always, always have the films.”

She added: “Changing the cover was one of the easiest decisions I’ve ever made – the outpouring of love shown for Chadwick all around the world, was simply unparalleled. It was created with heart by the whole team and we hope we’ve done his legacy justice.”

The EMPIRE podcast team will devote a special standalone Chadwick Boseman podcast episode, also available on Thursday 1st October.

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