In Rebel Moon, a group of misfits from all walks of life band together to not only protect one another but also a precious land that has been cultivated by people who love it, from the Motherwold whose main goal is to destroy them all. 

“Zack Snyder created a world in which I can see and feel the continent of Africa resonating and coming off of the page of what was written,” Djimon Hounsou, who plays legendary commander General Titus in the new Netflix film, told Blavity’s Shadow and Act. “Certainly the geopolitical tentacles that to me have been holding the continent of Africa back for a long time plays out so vividly here. That said, [it is] an amazing combination of world-class actors, myself coming from Africa, Staz who is Russian and Indian, with the addition of his partner who is white, Portuguese, and Golan.”

He continued, “Not only did [Zack] write an amazing, epic story, but also a story that we could all organically feel very connected to given the fact that what so many of us are experiencing or have overcome in our journey, it speaks volumes of what’s going on today and specifically about the continent of Africa, it certainly resonates very powerfully.”

With a film centered around triumph, it is equally important to note that the group of individuals that the narrative hones in on are also the true heroes when it is all said and done.

“This isn’t a story about superheroes. This is a story about heroes and heroes start off flawed and broken” said Staz Nair, who plays Tarak, a captive with a regal past. “It’s the rise to the occasion that makes people heroic, so even when you find these characters, they are becoming heroes. We still find that within ourselves what’s laying dormant inside of us.”

What’s more, Nair recalls how his character wounds up having to get rid of previous aspects of himself to survive, before joining his chosen family who ends up being more alike despite their different backgrounds.

“I feel like a lot of us, we start out coming for just revenge and then we end up beginning to cleanse ourselves of these traumas that got us in these positions,” said Nair.

Hounsou added, “It’s not about us individually. It’s about the group. It’s about the collective and it’s about the collective having to do what is right, not what is just for everyone else.”

Living to fight beyond yourself is what both Nair and Hounsou say is the overall, bigger picture of Rebel Moon, which is now streaming on Netflix. Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver will be released in April 2024.