‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Sees Okoye Struggle After ‘Black Panther’

The transition from Black Panther to Avengers: Infinity War will pose a unique challenge to Dora Milaje general Okoye.

The fierce warrior played by Danai Gurira takes pride in Wakanda, possibly more than anyone surrounding her, and will have a difficult time in the aftermath of the African Nation’s introduction to the world. Not only did a civil war of sorts possibly hurt Wakandan morale in Black Panther, but they went on to open their doors to the entire world. Speaking to press on the set of Avengers: Infinity War, Gurira opened up about Okoye’s struggles in the ensemble film.

“She’s a deep traditionalist, and Wakanda is a very traditional place,” Gurira said. “It has been really protected through trades and traditions and rituals and structures that were created by the forefathers a thousand years ago. She holds it on her shoulders. She’s in charge of the intel of the nation. She’s in charge of the military. So, for her, it’s something that really weighs on her shoulders, to make sure that this nation is maintained in its secrecy of course, because what it really is, is hidden from the world, and in the structures that they developed to keep that alive. Also, to retain their status as the most advanced nation in the world. “

Furthermore, Okoye is still reeling from T’Chaka’s death which was not long ago, as it marks a changing of the times within Wakanda as T’Challa can finally start to settle in as King. “She just lost a monarch, which we saw in Civil War,” Gurira said. “That is also something on her heart and on her conscience. She’s known T’Challa for many, many years, but the idea of him stepping into this role, she wants that for him, she’s excited for him, but she also holds responsibility that the throne must be maintained through her structures. The changes that they go through, to the point where they are opening up their borders and they are letting people know who they are, is something that she really has to journey through. There are other characters who are more ready to do it. She’s not ready.”

Okoye is going to have to ready up quickly, though. The scene which Gurira was filming the day of ComicBook.com’s visit to the Infinity War set saw her standing by T’Challa’s side as a ship spit half of the Avengers out into Wakanda’s land. Shortly after them, an attack from Thanos will follow.

“She’s more cautious about [The Avengers],” Gurira said. “She’s always thinking about how many things can go wrong and how much she can control what could go wrong before it goes wrong, but there’s not a lot of control that she can have over something that’s coming that’s this massive. But that’s where her caution is. That’s where her concerns lie. It’s, of course, in her gut. The vocation of being a Dora is you’re learning how to be one from quite a young age, so her entire vocation has been to maintain this nation. This is actually the biggest – there’s another major threat they go through in the movie you will have seen by the time this comes out, but this is one of the biggest threats they’ve dealt with.”

As Tony Stark noted in the latest trailer for Avengers: Infinity War, the Avengers have what Thanos wants. Therefore, the fight is coming to them, which they will try to see as an advantage. “The fight’s coming to them,” Gurira said, “but she’s the type of person who will go where she needs to go, especially considering the fact that she’s also very deeply connected to what her king decides. She’s led by her king, but his move, being a general, you have a commander-in-chief and then you go by his decisions. She definitely lets him know her thoughts, but she goes by his decisions.”

Avengers: Infinity War hits theaters on April 27, 2018. If you have any questions about ComicBook.com’s time on set of Avengers: Infinity War, leave them in the comment section below or send them to @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter!