Okoye's New Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Suit Represents A 'Shift' For The Character [Exclusive]
This story contains major spoilers for "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."
Arguably one of the best aspects of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" was the character arc of Okoye (Danai Gurira). Typically seen as the fearless leader of the Dora Milaje, she underwent a devastating yet important journey that saw her reevaluate what kind of fighter she wants to be. So, what type of fighter does she eventually want to be? Well, that would be a Midnight Angel, a new type of Wakandan warrior with a flying suit and some kickass weaponry. Donning this new suit alongside fellow warrior Aneka (Michaela Coel), we probably won't be seeing the last of the Midnight Angels in the MCU.
This is likely because Okoye's new status as a Midnight Angel has a deeper meaning than just giving her a new title and suit. In an interview with /Film's Vanessa Armstrong, Gurira discussed the suit's thematic importance, although she did stay mum on what specifically it holds for her future.
"How she ends up with that suit is very much a journey of a lot of shifts and changes for her," she said, "but there's an aspect of her journey, her grieving, and her shifting as a result of what happens in the film, that causes her to end up where she ends up with the suit."
'That's who she is now'
As we saw in "Wakanda Forever," Okoye was initially hesitant to don the Midnight Angels suit. She explained that her firing from the Dora Milaje at the demand of Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) was likely an end to her military career in general. However, with the threat of Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejía) and his Talokan army growing nearer, Okoye must make an important choice that will likely define her character for the rest of the MCU. Gurira told /Film about how the suit represents the character's new path:
"[The suit] is a very different experience altogether, but it also represents a shift for her that, whether or not she wanted it, that's who she is now."
While we're not entirely sure what adventures are in store for Okoye in the franchise's future, we do know that she will return in some capacity. That's because her previously announced Disney+ show is seemingly still in development, even though a creative team has not been set for it yet. We did recently, however, speculate on what this new development for her character means for the show.
You can see Okoye embrace her new role in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," now playing in theaters.