“Part of the reason why, in the casting of Kora (Sofia Boutella), I really wanted someone who I believed [in]. Because, in a lot of ways Sofia is kind in real life and incredible. She’s able to be vulnerable and a badass at the same time, which is tricky,” writer-director Zach Snyder told Blavity’s Shadow and Act. 

He continued, “That’s a tricky combo…and I wanted to try and drive a little wedge, then bond again, and then wedge and bond because it feels like in the end, once you’ve learned the entire history of Kora in [Rebel Moon Part 2], you’re so locked in with her. At that point, it’s almost like the struggle makes the bond harder rather than looser because you like her. In the end, you like her despite everything you know.”

As everyone seeks what they deserve throughout the film, Boutella says her character’s inspiration comes from the bonds she’s formed with everyone around her.

“It sounds like what everybody’s seeking… [they] deserve. You see that at the end of the film when Kora says, ‘I have never had a place to call home.’ And all of a sudden you can feel with everyone around her…that there is like a strong bond happening there,” Boutella said. “You can feel that it’s like finding your family away from home and it’s inspiring. In a way, it’s so funny because it reminds me of us in real life as actors. We hop from project to project and you create bonds with people, even when I used to dance and go on tour, you create many families.”

Ed Skrein, who plays opposite Boutella as Kora’s archnemesis, Admiral Noble, says despite their characters’ differences, they are both longing for the same thing – community.

“It’s a human thing to need community and tribe and if we don’t have community and tribe, then we can also look for that in the wrong places and get caught up in the wrong things,” said Skrein. “But all of it is born out of a primal instinct to belong and to have a family.”

Rebel Moon is now available for streaming on Netflix. Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver will be released in April 2024