Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe may recall the many times they were wowed by the Dora Milaje, Wakanda’s elite all-women warrior force. But, what they may not know is that this memorable group of soldiers was born from a real-life inspiration; the Agojie unit of all-female Dahomey Amazons, who served the African Kingdom of Dahomey (present-day Benin) from the mid-to-late 1600s until their disbandment in 1904.
And now, Viola Davis is set to spearhead the riveting story behind this group of female warriors in the upcoming film The Woman King, and if this trailer is anything to go by, it looks to be one of the heaviest-hitting films of the year.
Starring alongside Davis is the likes of Thuso Mbedu in her film debut, Lashana Lynch (Captain Marvel, No Time to Die), Sheila Atim (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), Hero Fiennes Tiffin (After series of films), and John Boyega (Star Wars sequel trilogy).
Davis stars as Nanisca, the leader of the Agojie unit who is tasked with training a new group of trainees for the battle of their lives, among them an ambitious recruit by the name of Nawi (Mbedu), who historically was said to be the last surviving member of the Dahomey Amazons up until her death in 1979. Davis appears to flourish throughout this taste of the historical epic, leading the cast with a charismatic ferocity that captures the essence of these historic warriors beautifully.
Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Old Guard) and distributed by Sony Pictures, The Woman King is set to hit theaters on September 16.