Chadwick Boseman To Play Yasuke, The First African Samurai, In Upcoming Movie

About two years ago, we reported that a movie about Yasuke, the first African samurai, was in the works. Now, after a painfully long wait, it’s been announced that Chadwick Boseman will play the titular role, and the script will be written by Narcos co-creator, Doug Miro.

Boseman as T’Challa in ‘Black Panther’ (Photo: Marvel Studios)

An unsurprising casting choice, considering Boseman has played many historical (James Brown, Thurgood Marshall, Jackie Robinson) and fictitious (T’challa in Marvel’s Oscar-winning Black Panther) black icons in his previous movies. Speaking about the movie, Boseman 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.”

In the 1500s, a man of African descent was accepted as the first-ever black Samurai. Dubbed “Yasuke” by the Japanese warlord, Oda Nobunaga, the soon-to-be-iconic samurai fought for Nobunaga’s army from 1581-1582.

Although the specifics of Yasuke’s origin are unclear (according to various write-ups, he could’ve been from Mozambique, Angola or Ethiopia), he quickly became Nobunaga’s chief warrior and personal bodyguard before officially becoming a Samurai in 1581. 

No release date has been announced, but colour us immensely hyped!

(Photo: Nicola Roos)