Chadwick Boseman, the regal actor who embodied a long-held dream of African-American moviegoers as the star of the groundbreaking superhero film “Black Panther,” died on Friday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 43.

His publicist confirmed the death, saying Mr. Boseman’s wife, Taylor Simone Ledward, and family were by his side at the time. A statement posted on Mr. Boseman’s Instagram account said that he learned he had Stage 3 colon cancer in 2016 and that it had progressed to Stage 4.

“A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much,” the statement said. “From ‘Marshall’ to ‘Da 5 Bloods,’ August Wilson’s ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ and several more, all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy.”

A private figure by Hollywood standards, Mr. Boseman rarely publicized details about his personal life. He found fame relatively late as an actor — he was 35 when he appeared in his first prominent role, as Jackie Robinson in “42” — but made up for lost time with a string of star-making performances in major biopics.

Whether it was James Brown in “Get On Up,” Thurgood Marshall in “Marshall” or T’Challa in “Black Panther,” Mr. Boseman’s unfussy versatility and old-fashioned gravitas helped turn him into one of his generation’s most sought-after leading men.

News of his death elicited widespread shock and grief, and many prominent figures in the arts world and civic life paid tribute to Mr. Boseman. Martin Luther King III, a human-rights activist and the eldest son of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., said the actor had “brought history to life on the silver screen” in his portrayals of pioneering Black leaders.

Joseph R. Biden Jr. the former vice president and current Democratic presidential nominee, shared a post on Twitter saying that Mr. Boseman had “inspired generations and showed them they can be anything they want — even super heroes.”