Set in 1823, the story draws on the history of Dahomey, the real West African kingdom that existed from the 17th-19th Centuries in what is now Benin. The Agojie, the women's army guarding the king, was famous for its physical strength and ferocity. The Agojie also inspired the fictional Dora Milaje warriors in 2018's Black Panther, which this new film inevitably brings to mind. But The Woman King, without Marvel superpowers, has a more serious tone and connection to history. What the films do share is a reverence for African culture.
