“The Woman King” is marching on the box office with an impressive $20 million opening weekend, as audiences flocked to the historical action blockbuster. Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (“Love and Basketball,” “The Old Guard”), this film draws from real historical accounts of the Dahomey women warriors of West Africa. Viola Davis stars, leading an elite fighting force of women committed not only to defending their king but also each other.
Aside from the legion of female soldiers, there is also King Ghezo (John Boyega), enemy West African leader Oba Ade (Jimmy Odukoya) and Portuguese colonizer Santo Ferreira (Hero Fiennes Tiffin).
With a solid reign of the box office incoming, many may want to know who plays who in the film. Here’s our complete “The Woman King” cast and character guide.
General Nanisca (Viola Davis)
Nanisca leads the Agojie, the all-female section of the King of Dahomey’s army and protection force. Nanisca was captured when she was younger, but she made it back to her home and rose in the ranks of the soldiers. She is in consideration of King Ghezp (John Boyega) to become the new woman king, who would advise him in all matters of government and society in Dahomey. Davis became a Hollywood fixture after breaking out in 2008’s “Doubt,” followed by roles like Abileen Clark in “The Help” (2011) and Annalise Keating in “How to Get Away with Murder” (2020). She won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Rose Maxson in 2016’s “Fences,” and she was nominated for an Oscar for her portrayal of Ma Rainey in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (2020). More recently, Davis has portrayed Michelle Obama in Showtime’s first and only season of “The First Lady,” and she will soon appear as Dr. Volumnia Gaul in “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.”
Izogie (Lashana Lynch)
Lashana Lynch portrays Izogie, one of Nanisca’s right-hand women. Izogie teaches new recruit Nawi (Thuso Mbedu) the ways of the Agojie and how to approach life even after a childhood of hardship. Lashana Lynch has appeared as Maria Rambeau in “Captain Marvel” (2019), Nomi in “No Time to Die” (2021) and an alternate version of Captain Marvel in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” (2022)/ She will soon appear as Miss Honey in Netflix’s “Matilda” (2022).
Amenza (Sheila Atim)
Amenza is Nanisca’s other close friend, warrior and confidant. She advises Nanisca when the fierce leader has doubts, and she even reads into her dreams and future using certain methods. Amenza was there for Nanisca at a very trying time in her life, which comes full circle in the film. Sheila Atim has appeared in shows like “Harlots,” “Bounty Hunters” and “The Feed.” She stars as Mabel alongside Thuso Mbedy in the TV Mini Series “The Underground Railroad.” She has also recently appeared as Sara in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” (2022) and Signora Vitelli in Disney’s live action remake of “Pinocchio” (2022).
King Ghezo (John Boyega)
King Ghezo has recently taken over the rule of Dahomey after the death of his brother, who had a very different style of leadership than Ghezo wants. He seeks a woman king to aid him in overseeing the lives of the people of Dahomey, and the competition comes down to one of this wives Shante (Jayme Lawson) and Nanisca (Viola Davis). John Boyega is most well-known for his role of Finn in “Star Wars” after first breaking out in 2011’s “Attack the Block.” He voices Bigwig in “Watership Down,” and he also appeared in Steve McQueen’s “Small Axe” and in “Pacific Rim: Uprising.”
Nawi (Thuso Mbedu)
Nawi’s father brings her to the palace after she refuses to marry an abusive man. She wants to train as an Agojie warrior, but she can be a bit arrogant and hotheaded. Izogie takes Nawi under her wing, and the women bond over their childhood trauma. Nawi later reveals that she was an orphan, and her father picked her out of an orphanage because of a mark on her back. Nawi does rise up the ranks of the new Agojie recruits, and she strikes up a forbidden flame with Malik (Jordan Bolger) along the way. Thus Mbedo stars as Cora in “The Underground Railroad.” She has also appeared in TV series like “Shuga,” “Liberty,” “Is’Tunzi” and “Scandal”
Santo Ferreira (Hero Fiennes Tiffin)
Santo Ferreira is a Portuguese colonizer and son of a man who has high stakes in the European slave trade. Santo visits both Oba and King Ghezo with offerings to make more deals about slavery. He brings along his friend Malik (Jordan Bolger). Hero Fiennes Tiffin is best known for his portrayal of Hardin in the Harry Styles-inspired fan fiction adaptation “After,” which has four books and four film installments to match. He has also appeared in TV shows like “Cleaning Up and “Safe.” In “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” Tiffin played Tom Riddle, the younger version of Lord Voldemort, who is played by his uncle Ralph Fiennes.
Malik (Jordan Bolger)
Jordan Bolger plays Malik (who has longer hair in the film), childhood friend of Santo Ferreira who accompanies the slave trader to Dahomey to pay homage to his dead mother. Malik’s father is Brazilian Portuguese, but his mother was Dahomey, and her dying wish was that he return to her homeland. Malik notices Nawi right away after their chance encounter in the woods, and the two have a spark throughout the film. Bolger played Skad in “The Book of Boba Fett” (2022), Cameron in “Tom & Jerry” (2021), Danny in “iBoy” (2017) and Danny in “Don’t Knock Twice.” He also portrayed Miles Ezekiel Shaw in “The 100” and has appeared in series like “David Makes Man” as well as “Peaky Blinders” as Isaiah Jesus.
