Venice Film Festival: Tilda Swinton pays tribute to Chadwick Boseman with 'Wakanda forever' salute

The actress, who starred with the late actor in 'Avengers: Endgame', made the poignant gesture as she arrived in the Italian city

Tilda Swinton pays tribute to Chadwick Boseman as she arrives at the Excelsior at the 77th Venice Film Festival on September 1, 2020 in Venice, Italy. Getty Images

Tilda Swinton, wearing a mask, arrives at the Excelsior at the 77th Venice Film Festival on September 1, 2020 in Venice, Italy. Getty Images

Cate Blanchett waves while covering her face as she arrives the day before the start of the 77th Venice International Film Festival on September 1, 2020. Reuters

Cate Blanchett stands next to the director of the 77th Venice International Film Festival, Alberto Barbera, as she arrives. Reuters

Cate Blanchett arrives the day before the start of the festival on September 1, 2020. Reuters

Italian actress Linda Caridi arrives at the Excelsior at the 77th Venice Film Festival on September 1, 2020 in Venice, Italy. Getty Images

Italian actress Anna Foglietta wears a face mask as she arrives at Lido Beach ahead of the 77th annual Venice International Film Festival, on September 1, 2020. Foglietta will host the opening and closing ceremony of the festival. EPA

Italian Minister of Cultural Heritage and Activities Dario Franceschini arrives the day before the start of the festival. Reuters

Anna Foglietta arrives at the Excelsior during the 77th Venice Film Festival on September 2, 2020. Getty Images

She may have been arriving in the Italian city of Venice, but Tilda Swinton's heart was very much in Wakanda.

The Scottish actress, 59, gave a nod to the fictional African country in which Black Panther is set as she made her entrance by boat.

Swinton made the poignant "Wakanda forever" gesture referenced in the hit Marvel film in memory of the late actor Chadwick Boseman, who portrayed the namesake superhero, T'Challa.

Boseman, 43, died last week following a four-year battle with colon cancer.

Swinton co-starred with the actor in 2019's Avengers: Endgame, having joined the Marvel franchise in 2016's Doctor Strange, playing the Ancient One.

Scroll through the gallery above to see more pictures of stars arriving in Venice ahead of the festival.

Boseman's Marvel co-stars, including Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans and Michael B Jordan, have also paid tribute to the actor after news of his death was announced on Saturday.

Swinton wore a disposable face mask as she arrived in the city ahead of the opening of the 77th annual Venice Film Festival.

The cinematic celebration, which officially kicked off on Wednesday, marks the first major in-person film showcase since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

Also arriving in Venice ahead of the festival was Cate Blanchett, who donned a face mask as she made her entrance via boat.

A number of safety precautions have been introduced for 2020, with the public barred from the red carpet, Hollywood stars and films largely absent and face masks required indoors at all times.

This year's slightly reduced line-up still contains in-competition films from a number of countries, but will be a mostly European affair. Italian films are well represented, including the first Italian opening-night film in years, the out-of-competition family drama Lacci by Daniele Luchetti.

The festival will run until Saturday, September 12.