Sunday night, MTV hosted its annual Movie and TV Awards show, only this time with a twist. Instead of the usual format, the network decided to switch things up with the Greatest of All Time honors, highlighting the best of the best, or rather the ‘GOATS’ of the following categories: Scream Queen, Legendary Lip Lock, Dance Your Ass Off, Heartbreaking Break-Up, Comedy Giant, Zero to Hero, She-Ro and Dynamic Duo.
But the biggest award of the night came when Avengers co-stars Don Cheadle and Robert Downey Jr. appeared virtually to present the ‘Hero for the Ages’ award to their fellow Marvel leading man, the late Chadwick Boseman. Per MTV, the award, which highlighted one “whose heroism onscreen was only surpassed by the true hero they were off-screen,” serves as the latest posthumous award for Boseman, who is also set to receive the Actor Tribute at the 2020 IFP Gotham Awards. Both Cheadle and Downey Jr. reflected on Chadwick’s energy and legacy, Cheadle saying in part:
Each time he stepped on the set, he inspired and influenced everyone there, and with every role he created a new legion of fans. He had an incredible power to unify people in their love for his work and their respect for him as a person. The way he lived his life united people behind a higher purpose, and that will be his legacy. Chadwick will forever be known as the Black Panther, but he also painted incredibly powerful portrayals of iconic and influential real men who changed the world. He brought humanity and truth to the portrayal of people that felt larger than life, and he did it in a way that honored their memories.
Robert Downey Jr. echoed similar sentiments, adding:
The second you first saw him onscreen or had the opportunity to meet him in person, his energy and intensity was undeniable. There was something different and special about Chadwick Boseman. Mr. Boseman truly embodied what it meant to be a superhero. His impact as a groundbreaking leading man, as an icon on screen... it won’t be quantified by the box office records he broke but by the legion of fans who will celebrate him for many years to come.
To see the full list of winners and to watch the replay head on over to MTV’s website.