Photo Courtesy of Getty Images/Nicola Roos

Chadwick Boseman has played iconic roles for a majority of his career. He went from playing Jackie Robinson to James Brown in Get on Up and Thurgood Marshall in Marshall. Ultimately playing the most iconic role yet, Black Panther, one of the most famous superheroes in the Marvel universe. Boseman is set to play another heroic fighter in Yasuke, about the first African samurai to wield a sword in Japan, Deadline reports.

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

Yasuke was a Mozambique native (then called Portuguese Mozambique) brought to Japan by force in the mid-1500s and is believed to be the first black man to set foot in Japan. His arrival caught the attention of Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga, who was trying to unite a feuding nation under his banner. The movie is reported to delve into the complex relationship between Yasuke and Nobunaga.

Narcos co-creator Doug Miro is creating the script of the ultimate samurai. Logan Coles and Chadwick Boseman will also be the executive producers of the film.