Black Panther: Wakanda Forever merch appears to offer a first look at the Marvel Cinematic Universe design for Attuma, a villain of Namor, the Sub-Mariner.
Shared by MCU Facility on Twitter, the artwork depicts the blue Atlantean in all of his glory, complete with a hammerhead skull helmet. If real, this would be the first look at the MCU debut of Attuma, who has been rumored to appear in Wakanda Forever alongside Namor.
Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Attuma first appeared in Marvel Comics with Fantastic Four #33 in 1964. A nomadic Atlantean warlord, Attuma believed that he was destined to conquer Atlantis. Along with the art for Attuma, MCU Facility also shared a possible design for Namor, the Sub-Mariner himself, who has long been rumored to make his MCU debut in the Black Panther sequel.
Speculation surrounding Namor's live-action appearance in Wakanda Forever began circulating in June 2021, after a rumor suggested that Tenoch Huerta (Narcos: Mexico, Spectre) had been cast as the character. While his MCU debut has not been officially confirmed by Marvel or Disney, it was previously reported that the Sub-Mariner will appear in Wakanda Forever as the film's primary antagonist.
Wakanda Vs. Atlantis
In the comics, Namor's kingdom is frequently at war with Wakanda, something teased in a synopsis released for Wakanda Forever, which emphasized Wakanda's abundance of vibranium, something "Namor's human father was sent searching for ...in Antarctica." Also highlighted is the "intertwined history" between Wakanda and the lost city of Atlantis, as both are civilizations that separated themselves from the outside world to protect their respective ways of life.
Created by Bill Everett, Namor, or the Sub-Mariner, first appeared in Marvel Comics #1 in 1939 as the King of Atlantis and a mutant. In February 2022, photos leaked from the set of Wakanda Forever fueled further speculation that Namor the Sub-Mariner would appear in the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe sequel. The behind-the-scenes photo showed a camera crew in a large pool of water, seemingly to film scenes featuring Namor and the lost city of Atlantis, which have both been rumored to play a prominent role in the movie.
Namor's introduction into the MCU was teased in 2019's Avengers: Endgame at the mention of "underwater earthquakes," something Endgame writer Christopher Markus would later address in 2020. "Sometimes, you plant seeds. Sometimes, they grow," he said. However, when the theories first began circulating that these underwater earthquakes could point to Namor, Markus said, "I wish we were that smart."
Directed by Ryan Coogler, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrives in theaters on Nov. 11, 2022.
Source: Twitter