Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Chadwick Boseman Tapped To Play Japan's First Non-Asian Samurai In Upcoming Historical Film

Chadwick Boseman Tapped To Play Japan's First Non-Asian Samurai In Upcoming Historical Film
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images; @randomangelface/Twitter



Chadwick Boseman has a history of playing real life figures in biopics, and action heavy roles like Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Now he's combining the two with his new role as Yasuke, the first black samurai.


The film has been in development for a few years, and seems to be finally coming to fruition with Boseman in the lead role.

"The legend of Yasuke is one of history's best kept secrets, the only person of non-Asian origin to become a Samurai,"

Boseman said, according to Deadline.

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

We're excited too!







Yasuke was a real person in history, living in Japan sometime in the 1500s. While solid information about his early life is missing, it's likely he was brought to Japan from Mozambique as a Portuguese slave.

At some point, Yasuke entered the service of Oda Nobunaga a powerful feudal lord of Japan. Yasuke is believed to have at least a basic knowledge of Japanese, as Nobunaga enjoyed conversations with Yasuke.

He was 6'2" tall, towering over most people at the time. It is unknown if his name is a Japanese rendering of his original name or wholly made up and given to him. Nobunaga himself claimed Yasuke had the strength of ten men.

There is plenty we know and a lot more we don't know about Yasuke's life. However, the parts we do know provide an interesting look at African and Japanese history.

So if someone asks, yeah, Yasuke was real.







There is no word on a release date or even when production will start. With the project gaining Boseman though, it's likely they will want to move forward quickly, before the popular actor's schedule starts filling up.

If you're interested in more about Yasuke, you'll have plenty more to see. While books have been written, and this film is gearing up for production, Netflix has also announced an anime very loosely based on the story of Yasuke.

Though, that one involves magic and robots, so if that's something you're looking for in a story about history's first black samurai, great!

Otherwise, keep your ears open for more information about Boseman's film as it becomes available.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Ted Cruz; Kelvin Sampson
Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images; Alex Slitz/Getty Images

Houston Fans Livid After Ted Cruz 'Curse' Strikes Again At NCAA Basketball Championship

In 2013, 2016 and 2021, Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz was labeled the most hated man in Congress—by members of his own party. In 2023, Florida Republican Representative Matt Gaetz replaced him as the "most hated."

In a 2016 CNN interview, South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said:

Keep ReadingShow less
Harriet Tubman
Library of Congress/Getty Images

National Parks Website Restores Harriet Tubman Photo To 'Underground Railroad' Page After Backlash

Following significant backlash, the National Park Service restored a previously-erased photo of Harriet Tubman from a webpage dedicated to the history of the Underground Railroad, in which she led 13 missions to rescue enslaved people.

A spokesperson said the changes were not authorized by the agency's leadership.

Keep ReadingShow less
screenshot from Fox News of Jackie DeAngelis and Tommy Tuberville
Fox News

Tuberville Now Claims 'Entire Men's Teams' Are 'Turning Trans' To Play Against Women

Alabama Republican Senator Tommy "Coach" Tuberville appeared on Fox News Sunday to again spread unhinged misinformation about transgender athletes.

Speaking with guest host Jackie DeAngelis, Tuberville stated:

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot from Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver/YouTube

John Oliver Epically Calls Out Awkward Truth Behind Former NCAA Swimmer's Anti-Trans Tirades

On Sunday's episode of Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, the outspoken host devoted the entire program to the attack on trans girls and women who play sports by the GOP.

Oliver began the program saying:

Keep ReadingShow less
man in front of computer code
Chris Yang on Unsplash

Conspiracy Theories That Seem Believable The More You Look Into Them

We tend to think of conspiracy theories as a phenomenon of the digital age. But the internet and mobile devices only allow them to be created and spread faster.

Conspiracy theories have likely been around as long as human civilization has. They are, at their root, just another form of rumors and gossip.

Keep ReadingShow less