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Black Panther Star Chadwick Boseman To Play Japan's First African Samurai

Black Panther Star Chadwick Boseman To Play Japan's First African Samurai

Yasuke was reportedly the first African to take become a Samurai

Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers

Following on from the success of Black Panther, actor Chadwick Boseman is set to play Japan's first African Samurai in the film adaptation of the historical character's life.

The star, fresh from his appearance in Avengers: Endgame, has reportedly landed the role of Yasuke, who was taken from his home in Mozambique to India by slavers, serving the Portuguese rulers during the 16th century.

Speaking to Deadline about the news, the 41-year-old said: "The legend of Yasuke is one of history's best-kept secrets, the only person of non-Asian origin to become a Samurai.

"That's not just an action movie, that's a cultural event, an exchange, and I am excited to be part of it."

The actor will reportedly play the first black Samurai, Yasuke.
PA

According to a biography of Yasuke - titled African Samurai: The True Story of Yasuke, a Legendary Black Warrior in Feudal Japan - he wound up in the Land of the Rising Sun in 1579, going on to become the bodyguard and valet of the powerful Portuguese Jesuit missionary Alessandro Valignano.

In a bid to curry favour with the feared warlord Oda Nobunaga, Yasuke was then offered as a gift - and it was he who would give our hero the prestigious title of Samurai.

The biography says: "People in the streets did not only gape at him, they bowed, heads to the earth, as they addressed him."

According to reports, Doug Miro - part of the team responsible for hit Netflix series Narcos - is writing the script for the film alongside fellow co-creator Carlo Bernard and showrunner Eric Newman.

The actor is fresh off the success of his recent superhero flick, Avengers: Endgame.
Marvel

If the movie is even half as successful as the most recent Marvel flick, which saw Boseman return to his role as Black Panther, it will smash the box office.

Over the weekend it was revealed that the Endgame had made it into a very exclusive club of just five movies which have taken over $2 billion at the box office - and it was hotly tipped to go on to have the most successful opening for a film ever. Now it seems as though those predictions were right.

Marvel announced the news on their Twitter page, writing: "The world has spoken. Marvel Studios' #AvengersEndgame is the #1 box office opening of all time."

During its opening weekend, Endgame accounted for more than four out of every five tickets sold in US cinemas. Try and wrap your head around that.

Endgame's opening weekend box office figures were boosted thanks to the $329 million (£254m) it made in China, unlike the series' previous movie, Avengers: Infinity War, which was only released in the country two weeks after it had landed elsewhere.

Featured Image Credit: Marvel

Topics: World News, Interesting, History, US Entertainment, Marvel