Black Panther director Ryan Coogler just revealed whom he believed was hit hardest by the tragic 2020 death of his star Chadwick Boseman.

‘Out of all of my actors, Chad’s death actually hit [Michael B. Jordan] the hardest,’ the 38-year-old Oscar-nominated producer told The Breakfast Club on Monday.

‘He was a fully baked man from the South. He was an old school man’s man and compared to that dude when we worked together bro, me and Mike was kids!’

Indeed, the 38-year-old actor’s current Instagram profile picture is a b&w snap of him with Chadwick.

‘He was the kind of teacher who you never knew you was getting a lesson when he taught. It was all by example and what he gave me and Michael was patience,’ Ryan continued.

‘He moved at an old-school pace and he took his time [but] he was always early. He was that type of dude. And Mike will tell you this, I told him man, I said, “Hey bro, what would Chad do in this role? If he had this role what would he do?” Because Chad never broke action.’

Black Panther director Ryan Coogler (L, pictured in 2017) just revealed whom he believed was hit hardest by the tragic 2020 death of his star Chadwick Boseman (R)

Boseman tragically died, at age 43, following a secret four-year battle with stage III colon cancer.

The posthumous Emmy winner is survived by his family and widow Taylor Simone Ledward (who sings under the name ‘Sahn’) as well as his organization Chadwick Boseman Foundation for the Arts and Howard University’s Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts.

In his since-deleted Instagram tribute, Michael repeatedly wrote the line ‘I wish we had more time’ and reflected on everything Chadwick told him.

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‘One of the last times we spoke, you said we were forever linked, and now the truth of that means more to me than ever,’ Jordan gushed at the time.

‘You showed me how to be better, honor purpose, and create legacy. And whether you’ve known it or not… I’ve been watching, learning and constantly motivated by your greatness. Everything you’ve given the world – the legends and heroes that you’ve shown us we are – will live on forever.

‘But the thing that hurts the most is that I now understand how much of a legend and hero YOU are. Through it all, you never lost sight of what you loved most. You are my big brother, but I never fully got a chance to tell you, or to truly give you your flowers while you were here.’

The Cali-born, Jersey-raised heartthrob concluded: ‘I’m gonna miss your honesty, your generosity, your sense of humor, and incredible gifts. I’ll miss the gift of sharing space with you in scenes. I’m dedicating the rest of my days to live the way you did. With grace, courage, and no regrets. “Is this your king!?” Yes he is! Rest in power brother.’

Michael portrayed antagonist Erik ‘Killmonger’ Stevens opposite Boseman’s Black Panther in Ryan’s 2018 Marvel movie, which earned $1.35B and became the first comic book movie to score a best picture nomination at the Academy Awards.

The 38-year-old Oscar-nominated producer told The Breakfast Club on Monday: ‘Out of all of my actors, Chad’s death actually hit [Michael B. Jordan] the hardest’

‘He was a fully baked man from the South. He was an old school man’s man and compared to that dude when we worked together bro, me and Mike was kids!'(pictured in 2018) 

Indeed, the 38-year-old actor’s current Instagram profile picture is a b&w snap of him with Chadwick

Ryan continued: ‘He was the kind of teacher who you never knew you was getting a lesson when he taught. It was all by example and what he gave me and Michael was patience’

Coogler said: ‘And Mike will tell you this, I told him man, I said, “Hey bro, what would Chad do in this role? If he had this role what would he do?” Because Chad never broke action’

Boseman tragically died, at age 43, following a secret four-year battle with stage III colon cancer (pictured in 2020)

The posthumous Emmy winner is survived by his family and widow Taylor Simone Ledward (who sings under the name ‘Sahn’) as well as his organization Chadwick Boseman Foundation for the Arts and Howard University’s Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts

In his since-deleted Instagram tribute, Michael repeatedly wrote the line ‘I wish we had more time’ and reflected on everything Chadwick told him

Jordan gushed at the time: ‘One of the last times we spoke, you said we were forever linked, and now the truth of that means more to me than ever. You showed me how to be better, honor purpose, and create legacy’ (pictured in 2018)

The Cali-born, Jersey-raised heartthrob portrayed antagonist Erik ‘Killmonger’ Stevens opposite Boseman’s Black Panther in Ryan’s 2018 Marvel movie, which earned $1.35B and became the first comic book movie to score a best picture nomination at the Academy Awards

The blockbuster spawned the 2022 sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which earned $859.2M, and the upcoming three-quel will feature Denzel Washington (pictured Monday), who famously secretly paid the Oxford tuition for the South Carolina native to study in the UK

Jordan pulled double duty portraying twins Smoke and Stack in Coogler’s $90M-budget, 1930s-set supernatural horror film Sinners – hitting US theaters April 18 – alongside Hailee Steinfeld, Delroy Lindo, and Lola Kirke

On March 7, ᴅᴇᴀᴅline reported the Emmy-nominated producer cast Taylor Russell (R, pictured March 9) as his onscreen leading lady in a Thomas Crown Affair reboot he’s directing this summer in London 

The blockbuster spawned the 2022 sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which earned $859.2M, and the upcoming three-quel will feature Denzel Washington, who famously secretly paid the Oxford tuition for the South Carolina native to study in the UK.

Jordan pulled double duty portraying twins Smoke and Stack in Coogler’s $90M-budget, 1930s-set supernatural horror film Sinners – hitting US theaters April 18 – alongside Hailee Steinfeld, Delroy Lindo, and Lola Kirke.

On March 7, ᴅᴇᴀᴅline reported the Emmy-nominated producer cast Taylor Russell as his onscreen leading lady in a Thomas Crown Affair reboot he’s directing this summer in London.