Chadwick Boseman, the "Black Panther", stars in the new film "Yasuke" as the only African warrior in Japan

"Black Panther" Chadwick Boseman will star in the new action film "Yasuke" as a Japanese samurai. The film is adapted from the historical story of the 16th century Oda Nobunaga era. Boseman plays the only recorded African samurai in Japan. Yasuke is his Japanese name.

Regarding this performance, Boseman said: "The legend of Yasuke is a secret hidden deep in history. He is the only African who became a samurai. It is not only an action movie, but also a cultural event and an exchange. I am very happy to be able to participate in it."

According to historical records, Yasuke was born in Mozambique in 1556 and died in an unknown year. He was taken to Japan as a slave of Jesuit missionaries in the 16th century. He was the first black person to set foot in Japan and attracted the attention of Oda Nobunaga, becoming a famous black samurai in Japanese history.

Doug Milo (Narcos) will write the script for Yasuke, which will be developed by Erik Feig's (La La Land) company Picturestart, Mike De Luca's (Fifty Shades of Grey) company De Luca Productions and Lionsgate. Boseman will also serve as a producer.