UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is set to add acting to his skills after bagging a role in the upcoming “Black Panther” movie from Disney and Marvel Studios.
The extent of Usman’s role and what character he plays in “Black Panther Wakanda Forever” are yet to be ascertained but the movie is set to premiere on November 11th.
Usman is a huge fan of the comic book superhero, and dating back to 2018, has shown interest in being a part of upcoming flicks.
MMA Junkie confirmed the news of Usman’s involvement through manager Ali Abdelaziz after UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier mentioned it during the UFC 277 weigh-in show Satuday morning on ESPN+.
The first “Black Panther” film was released in 2018 and starred the late Chadwick Boseman, who played King T’Challa and his alter ego the Black Panther. The franchise will continue on without Boseman, who died in 2020. Disney and Marvel have confirmed that the character T’Challa won’t be recast in the “Wakanda Forever” sequel.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the first sequel to 2018’s Black Panther, which crushed expectations by grossing a remarkable $1.3bn and earning a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars.
Aside from whatever battles Usman takes part in on the movie screens, the Welterweight king is currently lined up to defend his belt vs. Leon Edwards at UFC 278 on August 20. If he’s victorious there, Usman has also expressed interest in jumping up to 205 lbs. and taking a crack at Jiri Prochazka in the light-heavyweight.
The 35-year-old was born in Auchi, Nigeria is regarded as the Nigerian Nightmare and one of the country’s biggest names overseas.