With the impending War for Wakanda expansion coming very soon to Marvel’s Avengers, it appears that the developers have packed in plenty of content around the addition of the Black Panther to the game’s roster. As well as taking on the role of T’Challa, players will get to explore and battle across Wakanda and interact with some of the region’s most recognizable characters.
Showcased in the War for Wakanda cinematic trailer, it appears that players will get some back-up in the form of the Black Panther’s personal security detail, the Dora Milaje. One scene, in particular, stands out with the Dora Milaje, though, and it’s actually a call back to one of the most iconic Black Panther runs in history.
In an early scene of the upcoming Marvel’s Avengers: War for Wakanda, Captain America is visibly confused when Okoye refers to T’Challa as “beloved.” However, she informs Cap that the term is meant as a respectful turn of phrase rather than possessing any sort of romantic connotations. As Okoye explains it, Beloved is the name by which all Dora Milaje refer to their Panther. This is a fairly unique twist on the original take from the comics, though.
Debuting as part of the Marvel Knights relaunch in Black Panther Vol. 3 # 1 by Christopher Priest, Mark Texeira, Brian Haberlin, Richard Starkings and Siobhan Hanna, the Dora Milaje are introduced as T’Challa’s personal bodyguards and lethal fighters in their own right. The Dora Milaje are actually chosen from Wakanda’s various rival tribes and are each also a ceremonial wife-in-training for T’Challas; this practice was kept up as a means of strengthening the bond of Wakanda’s many tribes, as a woman recruited into the Dora Milaje tribe could potentially be the next in line for Wakandan royalty. Here, the Beloved nickname was meant as a term of affection.
More recent volumes have downplayed the idea of the Dora Milaje being potential brides. Today, the Dora Milaje serve under T’Challa as fiercely loyal guards to the Wakandan throne and royal family. Rather than a potential romantic relationship, the Dora Milaje have become a much more familial extension to the Black Panther character, taking on the role of T’Challa’s surrogate children.
Since their introduction into the Marvel Universe, the Dora Milaje have been an ever-present staple of Black Panther tales, both in print and on-screen. The fierce band of Wakanda’s finest female warriors have served alongside the Black Panther through events that have threatened Wakanda as well as the world at large. There is a mutual admiration between the Dora Milaje and the Black Panther, and with that in mind, them referring to T’Challa as ‘Beloved’ isn’t so surprising after all.
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