MCU: 15 Marvel characters who deserve more screen time

4. Okoye

Black Panther was undoubtedly a triumph on all counts. Not only did it possess an excellent story, stunning visuals and one of the greatest movie scores of all time, it also had an incredibly rich line-up of both cast and characters. While a lot of that well-earned acclaim went to both the hero, Black Panther, and the villain, Killmonger, there was equally as much love for another character.

The head of the Dora Milaje – Wakanda’s all-female troop of T’Challa’s bodyguards – Okoye was a formidable warrior that would stop at nothing to serve her king and, perhaps more importantly, protect her country and its people. A loyal character who always did what she thought was right, it was this exact philosophy that ended up creating some of the film’s most compelling conflict as she had to choose between serving Wakanda’s new tyrannical ruler or the family of its former king – a conflict which, in turn, made her the film’s most intriguing character.

It didn’t matter whether she was showcasing her impressive fighting skills on the battlefield, or offering her expertise to the council, Okoye was commanding at everything she did. Of course, a large part of this was down to Danai Gurira’s powerful performance, which helped the character stand out in a film that was already full of well-developed and layered personalities.

If we’ve learned anything from Gurira’s performance, it’s that Okoye is just too rich of a character to play a supporting role. Her powerful screen-presence was show-stealing even during Okoye’s reduced roles in both Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. With that in mind, it would be nice to see her given even more to do in the upcoming Black Panther sequel and, perhaps, even headline her own film/TV series.

Dora Milaje spin-off anyone?