There are rumors that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will introduce Namor the Submariner to the MCU, but will the King of Atlantis be a hero or a villain? The release of “Black Panther 2” is currently scheduled for November 2022, and Ryan Coogler will return as director. The film will apparently focus more on the fictional country of Wakanda as a whole after the tragic death of actor T’Challa Chadwick Bozeman.
This emphasis on the country, rather than its king, may be how Marvel decided to introduce Atlantis to the MCU, another fictional nation. There are rumors that the star of the Netflix series “Narco: Mexico” Tenoch Huerta will play the role of Namor. Although nothing has been officially confirmed, recent reports say that Namor and Atlantis will understand the culture of Central America, which makes Huerta’s choice for the role of this character even more likely.
However, given that little is known about Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, it is unclear what role Namor will play in the film, if any. The same can be said about whether a character will be a hero or a villain in the MCU. Most likely, if he is a villain, Namor will follow in the footsteps of Killmonger, one of the most powerful MCU villains in terms of how the character was written and portrayed by Michael B. Jordan.
Rumors about “Black Panther 2” set Namor up as an antagonist
If the reports are to be believed, it looks like it will be, and Namor will be the villain in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. This would make sense given the relationship between the countries of Wakanda and Atlantis in recent Marvel comics. The two nations have a tense history, at best, which has led to wars at worst. Despite the fact that Wakanda has recently opened its borders to the world, both Kingdoms have a history of isolation from the rest of the world, which could be used to inflame tensions between the leaders of both countries if Namor does not agree with the methods of T’Challa in Black. Panther.
While it remains to be seen how Namor will be written as the main antagonist of Black Panther 2, it has at least been confirmed that this will be his role, if the reports are legitimate. Judging by the Marvel comics story between Wakanda and Atlantis, which was mentioned in Avengers: Finale, it makes sense. It would also allow the MCU to explore the type of villain they didn’t have before, being the king of another country.
Is Namor a villain in Marvel comics?
However, one thing worth noting about Namor in Marvel comics is his status. He is certainly a character who is difficult to call the ultimate hero or villain. In fact, Namor is often best described as an antihero in Marvel comics, which could translate into live action in the MCU. Although it is clear from the reports that Namor is the antagonist of Black Panther 2, Namor can still be shown as an antihero who is simply at odds with the heroes of Wakanda. The character of Killmonger from “Black Panther” was portrayed in many ways in the same spirit, having noble intentions that were carried out by the wrong means.
In most cases, Namor’s stories in Marvel comics depict him that way. Although the character had disagreements with heroes such as the Avengers and the Fantastic Four in the comics, they often began to respect Namor. Although he certainly committed morally questionable things and often had difficulty distinguishing between right and wrong, Namor has many redeeming qualities that allow him to be characterized as an antihero, and not as an outright villain. Most of the time Namor does what he does, for good or bad in the eyes of other Marvel comics heroes, for the good of his people. Being the ruler of Atlantis, which was also created in the “Eternals”, he cares deeply about his people and often acts only in their interests. This put him in both alliance and opposition with the numerous Marvel cast, solidifying his antihero status. Capturing this in the MCU allows Black Panther: Wakanda Forever not only to explore another antihero, which is certainly popular with characters like Loki and Wanda, but also to portray the antagonist in a much more convincing light — as opposed to someone who is just either a hero or a villain.
