It's safe to say Marvel Cinematic Universe fans were stoked to hear Namor would be appearing in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever as the antagonist. He was teased in Avengers: Endgame when Okoye mentioned underwater earthquakes near Africa, so it felt like an organic direction to go in. While it'll be interesting to see Namor opposing the Wakandans and seemingly trying to break the throne, the first Black Panther movie already had a version of Namor. And ironically, this person felt more like the Sub-Mariner seen in comics and cartoons in the past.
This is none other than M'Baku (Winston Duke), who led the Jabari tribe. He hated how Wakanda embraced technology and, in his eyes, broke tradition. He didn't believe they were pure, looking down at how he thought they spat on heritage and culture. It's why he tried and failed to take T'Challa's crown in a trial-by-combat ritual in Black Panther.
The defeat aside, this defiance was the same kind of presence Namor had in Marvel lore -- gruff, commanding and very intimidating. He was condescending to the surface world, thinking his Atlanteans were better than them, which is what M'Baku thought of the Jabari. In addition, Black Panther's M'Baku was a cold businessman, as seen when Queen Ramonda's team eventually came to offer him the Heart-Shaped Herb to become the champion to fight Killmonger.
However, he showed sympathy and took them to T'Challa so they could build the regent up again. But make no mistake, part of M'Baku's ego loved how they came to him in their time of need. It's similar to how Namor often treated the Fantastic Four, the Avengers and the Illuminati, lapping up how they needed him to save the world on many occasions. Sure, he didn't mind being the hero, but he wanted everyone to know it and even wanted to be begged for it. Granted, M'Baku had a bit more humility, but clearly, both men felt like kings helping peasants when things got dark.
That said, all their shade-throwing is understood because deep down, they felt like outcasts, even among their own people. Namor was half human, while M'Baku, no matter what, didn't have the royal bloodline in him. However, the MCU seems set to switch this dynamic up, which would avoid the arrogant regal arc that Black Panther already did with M'Baku. Namor, whose kingdom is being changed from Atlantis to the Aztec-influenced Talocan, does seem angry from the trailer, but not someone who taunts and flexes with ego.
Instead, he's more about quiet purpose, cutting a scary figure as the empires clash. This is actually a clever, subtle shift, especially as the Wakanda Forever trailer has M'Baku jumping at him to cut the oceanic king down. It allows the MCU to inject fresh energy into Namor's character and elevate him if he has diplomatic meets with the eloquent Wakandan royals and when the time comes to make war speeches and rallying cries to his people. Fans don't need Namor throwing quips and verbal barbs for that, which makes him the perfect foil for M'Baku, who's already embossed with a Sub-Mariner-esque bravado.
lack Panther: Wakanda Forever arrives in theaters on Nov. 11, 2022.