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The King is dead.

43-year-old actor Chadwick Boseman, who played the iconic lead as the regal Black Panther in Marvel's blockbuster movie franchise, died on Friday of stage IV colon cancer.

A tweet sent from Boseman's account announcing the actor's death has now become the most-liked tweet on the social media platform by far, surpassing seven million as of Saturday.

Twitter confirmed that it was a record for the website, tweeting that the milestone was "a tribute fit for a King."

The original tweet from Boseman's account said the actor had lived with colon cancer for the last four years, even while filming a number of movies "between countless surgeries and chemotherapy," before it finally progressed and he succumbed to the illness.

"A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much," his family said in the statement.

"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. It was the honour of his career to bring King T'Challa to life in Black Panther."