A new Black Panther: Wakanda Forever cameo has been announced now that Nigerian-American UFC champion confirmed his appearance in the upcoming movie, thus realizing his dream of entering the MCU.
Usman was born in Nigeria where he endured a difficult childhood until his family moved to the United States when he was 8 years old, growing up to become a successful college athlete and eventually the reigning UFC welterweight champion for 3 years in a row. The MMA icon is just one of many popular African-born UFC fighters rising to the top of the sport in recent years, alongside Cameroonian Francis Ngannou and fellow Nigerian and Elden Ring fan Israel Adesanya, themselves champions in the UFC’s heavyweight and middleweight divisions.
It seems like Usman is ready to cash in on that popularity as news of the star joining Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was first heard during the weigh-in for UFC 277, where Usman was not scheduled to fight, according to MMA Fighting. UFC legend Daniel Cormier was the first one to mention Usman’s Marvel debut, though it was later confirmed by the fighter’s manager in a tweet containing some artwork of Usman dressed as Black Panther, as well as some inspirational words to commemorate the moment “that this young boy from Nigeria, his dreams are coming true, all you have to do is work hard”.
Just a few hours later, Usman followed up the news with a Black Panther post from his own Twitter account, merely posting the official Wakanda Forever poster that was shown during Marvel’s Comic-Con panel last week. What exactly will be Usman’s role in the film remains a mystery, though it’s fairly likely he’ll play some kind of Wakandan soldier or warrior, even if his fighting skills don’t get a moment to shine.
Whether he gets any speaking lines or not, Usman’s inclusion in the film seems like yet another example of director Ryan Coogler’s desire to highlight African greatness in Black Panther, as the movie’s soundtrack also features African artists and the attention to detail when it came to real cultural elements was so important in the previous entry. It’s also unknown whether the film’s production would look to cast Ngannou and Adesanya too, as the trio have become friends over the years with Usman even refusing to fight the latter on several occasions.
The sequel has been met with some negative feedback as groups of fans have called for Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther to simply be recast, though reception for the funeral-themed trailer has been mostly positive, especially when it came to new Marvel villain Namor.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is scheduled to release in theaters on November 11, 2022.
Source: MMA Fighting