We should talk about Namor. Possibly, probably trapped in a weird rights issue between Marvel Studios and Universal Studios, Namor will make his film debut in Wakanda Forever. Played by Tenoch Huerta, the King of Atlantis will not be King of Atlantis on film. You could see it in the trailer that his blue-skinned people remained ornately dressed, but there was a definite cultural spin absent from the comic book version. Yesterday, Marvel tweeted alternate covers to next week’s release of Empire Magazine. One features Huerta, Angela Bassett as Queen Ramonda, and Letitia Wright as Shuri.
While most MCU pundits think Shuri will become the new Black Panther, the big story really is the addition of Namor. The exclusive subscriber cover makes that clear. Fans have been clamoring for Namor to make a screen debut. Granted, he was one of the characters used in the 1960s animated anthology series, but only some remember that.
Check out the brand-new @EmpireMagazine newsstand cover on sale September 29 and exclusive subscriber cover for Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: #WakandaForever.
Only in theaters 11.11.22. pic.twitter.com/W71NBnywxv
— Black Panther (@theblackpanther) September 23, 2022
Instead of Atlantis, Namor will rule a kingdom called Talocan. It’s based on a kingdom from Aztec mythology called Tlālōcān, which shares a similar profile to Atlantis. In myth ruled by the storm god Tlāloc, it’s a paradise for the souls of those who died by drowning or lightning. There’s a rich cultural trove here that has been overlooked.
If we step back for a moment, and predict that the denizens of Talocan will acknowledge Tlāloc in the way the Atlanteans acknowledge Neptune, we might just see Namor face a different storm god down the road. From Thor: Love and Thunder, we know that Zeus (Russell Crowe) considers Thor a wanna-be. Throw an Aztec god into the mix the next time?
Why the change, besides adding representation? Sorry, there’s likely a mercenary reason. One of the few successful DCEU movies was James Wan’s Aquaman, which established Jason Momoa as the King of Atlantis. For movie fans it may be been there, done that. At least, that’s what a studio executive thinks. Disney also has an animated feature they’re pushing back into the zeitgeist, the underrated Atlantis: The Lost Empire.
Wakanda Forever has a lot to accomplish. Officially in the slot of ending Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it serves as a transition to Phase 5. Ironheart will make her first appearance. A new Black Panther will be born. While all signs point to it being Shuri, let’s not count out that Kevin Feige often sets up expectations, nods to them, and then moves the MCU in a different direction. Letting Winston Duke’s M’Baku take the mantle of the Panther would be excellent, and because we’re really seeing so little of him ahead of time, it’s just the kind of curve that would be cool. Though Shuri and Riri Williams would make great cornerstones of a new Champions or Young Avengers, especially adding Ms. Marvel to the mix.
While setting Namor up as an antagonist, there’s a strong likelihood that Wakanda Forever may give him an arc closer to how he reappeared in the original Fantastic Four run. On film it would go faster and simpler. In comics, Doctor Doom often manipulated Namor, and Doom appearing at the end of Wakanda Forever would be a jaw dropping moment like Thanos’ appearance at the end of The Avengers.
How’s that to start Phase 5? Especially since at various times in comics the known main villain Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) tried to convince Doom that they were the same person. Introduced as “He Who Remains” in Loki, we know that Kang will formally appear in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. We shall see. In the meantime, I need to find a good translation of the Aztec Codices.
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