Nigerians all over the world were excited to hear that ‘Jenifa’s Diary‘ star, Funke Akindele, is set to star in the upcoming Marvel movie, ‘Avengers: Infinity Wars’. The news broke after reputable movie review site, IMDB, published her name in the cast list and made it known that she is set to be one of the female protectors of the Black Panther.
Now that we know that our very own Nollywood star will be starring in a major Hollywood production, we all have one question, Who is Dora Milaje ? Fret not, we have you covered.
1. Dora Milaje Is Not One Person, But A Group Of People
Before you start naming your daughters, Dora Milage, it is important for you to know that Funke Akindele’s character is not Dora Milaje but a member of the Dora Milaje. The Dora Milaje are an elite group of feminine boydguards of the Black Panther, king of the fictional ‘Wakanda’.
2. They Are The Adored Ones… Literally
Pronounced (dora-meh-LAH-shay), the English translation of name the female warriors is ‘the adored ones’. This is probably because any member of the Dora Milaje is considered to be a potential wife of the king.
3. They Are Trained To Kill
Don’t let their promiscuous uniforms deceive you, these female guards are not to be messed with. The Dora Milaje are expert martial arts fighters who also know how to take care of business with spears, blades, nun-chak and a bunch of other dangerous fighting weapons you wouldn’t want to get punctured with.
4. There Are Levels To This
Within the group of highly trained female fighters, there is another group of elite fighting female fighters. These first class Dora Milaje women are known as ‘The Midnight Angels‘. No environment is too foreign and no situation is too dangerous for these fierce ladies. Bad guys beware!
5. Ain’t No Body Badder Than!
That’s right. In the entire Marvel universe, the Dora Milaje are the strongest and the most decorated female fighters. They’ve taken on and defeated everyone from Storm, Black Widow, Namor and some other very powerful Marvel villains.
6. Strength In Numbers
At a particular point in Marvel history, there were more than 500 Dora Milaje warriors fighting to defend their dear home, Wakanda.
7. Some Of Them Have Nigerian Names
Members of the Dora Milaje order have names like ‘Ayo’ and ‘Okoye’. Sound familiar?
8. They’ve Only Starred In One Movie
Although they are set to appear in ‘Black Panther‘ and ‘Avengers: Infinity War ‘, the only Marvel movie that has been actually released and has featured the warrior queens is ‘Captain America: Civil War‘.
9. They Speak Hausa!
Yes, you read that right and no, you are not tripping. Traditionally, the women of Dora Milaje only speak in Hausa dialect. They are trained to speak only to themselves and their king.
10. Their Character is 19 Years Old
The first time that the world was introduced to the Dora Milaje was in November 1998. The Marvel universe welcomed them in grand style in Black Panther Vol. 3 #1. Almost twenty years later, the fierce women of Wakanda were firstly penciled by Mark Texeira, are still fan favorites of Marvel fans all over.
