UFC star Kamaru Usman is to make an appearance in 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever'.

The mixed martial artist - who is the current UFC Welterweight Champion - has joined the cast of the upcoming sequel to 2018 Oscar-winning movie 'Black Panther' which is due for release in November although details of his role are being kept tightly under wraps.

Usman's manager Ali Abdelaziz confirmed the news to MMA Junkie, but no more details have been given. The sportsman is believed to be a big fan of the first film, and previously shared an image of a piece of fan art which depicted him as a 'Black Panther' superhero.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has moved forward without Chadwick Boseman, the star of the original film who died in 2020. The sequel is believed to deal with the loss of his character, beloved Wakandan king, T'Challa, and focus on his remaining family as they struggle to protect their country from invading forces.

The first trailer for the new movie was shown during Marvel's recent San Diego Comic-Con 2022 panel and director Ryan Coogler explained how they wanted to make a movie that honoured Boseman's legacy.

He said: "Chad is no longer with us physically, but his spirit, his passion, his genius, his pride, his culture, and the impact that he had made on this industry will be felt forever. We put our love for Chadwick into this film.”

The cast of the sequel includes returning stars Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, and Angela Basset as well as new additions Dominique Thorne and Tenoch Huerta.