Photo credit: Marvel Studios 2018
If you’ve seen Marvel’s latest film “Black Panther” then you know just how important the devoted female warriors, known as the Dora Milaje, are to servicing their king, T’Challa. But in the new comic, “Wakanda Forever: The Amazing Spider-Man,” sci-fi and fantasy author Nnedi Okorafor will showcase the trio in their own light.
Okorafor, who is a Hugo and Nebula award-winning author, is known for writing stories that are inspired by Nigerian folklore and that explore Afro-futurism. In her three-part comic series on the Dora Milaje, that is set to be released in June, she tells Vogue that Okoye, Ayo and Aneka will be traveling to New York to investigate a national security threat, while connecting with Peter Parker.
“Typically when you see them, they’re with T’Challa, representing and protecting him,” she says. “Now you’re going to see the Dora Milaje for the first time as an independent entity; they’re not under the shadow of the throne.”
Okorafor explains that she will portray the Dora Milaje not just as warriors who have the ability to take down villains, but as people who have internal struggles, insecurities and problems.
“I’m always interested in a challenge, so writing a narrative where it doesn’t feel heavy-handed but I can develop the characters through little subtle things [creates] my favorite moments,” she says. “You feel that you can relate to these characters, and feel they are real, not just iconic, but also human.”
According to the Huffington Post, this won’t be the first time that the Dora Milaje got a Marvel spin-off. In 2017, “Black Panther: World of Wakanda” was written by New York Times best-selling author Roxane Gay, but was cancelled after only six issues.
While there is no word on if there will be a Dora Milaje TV series or film, Okorafor says it’s been long overdue for this type of representation in media.
“This moment has coming for a long time,” she says. “People have craved these type of characters for a while, and I don’t think that craving is going to pass; it’s something that is here to stay.”