The cast of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has added a new member with the addition of UFC champion Kamaru Usman, according to MMA Fighting. UFC Welterweight Champion Chris Weidman will appear in a cameo, but we don’t know much else about his part.
Manager Ali Abdelaziz responded to Usman’s casting by tweeting, “Never listen to people who say you can’t dream, because this little Nigerian boy’s dreams are coming true, all you have to do is work hard.” It is a dream come true to be a part of the ever-evolving Marvel Cinematic Universe. After a long history of featuring African-American actors and filmmakers, Black Panther 2 follows this trend. Bringing cultural relevance and representation to the (then) mostly-white superhero genre, the 2018 film changed the game significantly.
A cultural jubilee, it was nominated for Best Picture that year and went on to win three Oscars: Best Costume Design, Best Original Score, and Best Production Design. It also broke the genre’s Academy Award curse. At San Diego Comic-Con, a teaser for the sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was shown, showing Queen Ramonda, Princess Shuri, and Princess Nakia crying over the death of King T’Challa. Ryan Coogler, who co-wrote the screenplay with Joe Robert Cole & Chadwick Boseman, made revisions to the story after the actor’s unexpected death. While Wakanda is mourning the loss of its monarch, the people of the country will rise up to face fresh threats to their homeland. It stars Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira and Winston Duke alongside Florence Kasumba, Dominique Thorne and Michaela Coel as well as Tenoch Huerta who is played by Angela Bassett in her film debut.
Because Marvel likes to keep things under wraps, we’ll have to wait until the sequel opens in theatres to see just how big of a role Usman plays. On November 11, the film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be released.
Synopsis:
Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M’Baku, Okoye, and the Dora Milaje (featuring Florence Kasumba) battle to keep Wakanda safe in the aftermath of King T’Challa’s death in Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” which opens on February 16. With War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) helping the Wakandans accept their newest chapter, the heroes must join together and establish a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda. With Tenoch Huerta as the monarch of an underwater kingdom, the film also has Dominique Thorne, Michaela Cole, Mabel Caden and Alex Livanalli as supporting cast members.