ICYMI: Chadwick Boseman Goes From Black Panther To First African Samurai in 'Yasuke' Film!

It seems Chadwick Boseman has a thing for playing some of history's significant players. He has already taken on such iconic roles such as Jackie Robinson, Thurgood Marshall, and James Brown. And given the fact that he also plays one of the most badass heroes in the MCU as Black Panther, you’ll completely understand why this casting news is what can only be described as absolute perfection. The next role he is set to add to his already impressive acting resume is yet another iconic player from the past. King T’Challa will trade in his Vibranium Blank Panther suit for some samurai armor as he takes his talents from Wakanda to feudal Japan to tell the story of the only known Samurai of African origin, Yasuke. 

This makes a crazy amount of sense and feels more than appropriate, given the performer's natural abilities. Boseman has a remarkable knack for bringing these heroes of history to life, and he is no stranger to playing a badass African warrior. So the role of Yasuke seems like the perfect blend of everything this man loves to do. This master of the biopic and expert of the action beast will easily bring to life what has been described as one of history's best-kept secrets.

This has all the markings of one epic movie and could easily be the role that makes Boseman a household name, because I’m pretty sure everyone is mostly calling him "the guy from Black Panther", which is pretty cool in its own right if I’m being perfectly honest. His next epic cinematic endeavor will tell the story about a Portuguese Mozambique slave-turned-samurai who served under the Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga during the 16th century in Japan. The real-life Yasuke was apparently taken to Japan as a slave to Jesuit missionaries. There he quickly caught the attention of one Oda Nobunaga, who was a ruthless feudal lord ambitious enough to try to unify a divided Japan under his banner. Under the ownership of Nobunaga, Yasuke proved himself and eventually ascended to the honor of becoming a samurai. If Boseman can prove he is the rightful king of Wakanda in the MCU, he should have no problem proving to moviegoers he has what it takes to go full samurai.

At this point, I am shocked I’ve never heard this story, as it seems right up my alley and the perfect idea for a film or TV series. Why no one has done it before now is quite the mystery, but better late than never I guess. But hearing the story and finding out about this announcement makes this feel like it will be more than just a run-of-the-mill action flick with Boseman slicing and dicing his way through all enemies that try to stand in his way. This more so feels like the kind of story that needs to be told and the kind of motion picture that could effortlessly become a timeless classic. Bringing unknown historical gems to life is something Netflix’s "Narcos" writer Doug Miro is known for doing very well, and he will continue this successful streak by penning the script for Boseman’s highly-anticipated samurai debut. All I know is, I can't wait for Yasuke to hit theaters.