Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star Winston Duke says Tenoch Huerta's portrayal of Namor shouldn't be compared to DC's Aquaman.
Speaking to the LA Times at D23, Duke noted that the Marvel Cinematic Universe's version of the iconic Submariner is a far more "believable" take on a character that he originally considered "another Aquaman." The actor, who reprises his role as M'Baku for the Black Panther sequel, noted that director Ryan Coogler paid a great deal of attention to bringing the character to life in a way that felt realistic. "In our version, it feels a lot more real than fiction," Duke said. "In the MCU fashion, we’ve grounded it in real cultural significance and cultural traditions. You see the Latinx contingent that is present visually. Ryan Coogler’s creation within the Marvel cinematic landscape is one of deep honor and connection to real stuff. So I think a lot of people are gonna see themselves represented."
While details on Namor are still scarce, Huerta has noted how Namor came to exist on the big screen. The actor stated that he saw many parts of his culture represented in the character, an approach that brought him a great deal of joy. "As I mentioned a moment before, it's like his shadow is [on] the wall," Huerta said. "So you line the shadow, and then you put a lot of colors, and music, and love, and you are part of that because it's your colors as well. You know, your culture, your music is there, and it's beautiful [to] be part of that, you know what I mean?"
Who Is the Black Panther?
While Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's plot is still largely shrouded in mystery, fans are already beginning to speculate as to who will be donning the iconic mask in the wake of Chadwick Boseman's passing in 2020. Many suspect that the mantle will be passed on to T'challa's sister Shuri (Letitia Wright), which is seemingly hinted at via a promotional LEGO set that surfaced online. Another possible successor is Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), a fan-favorite character with a close connection to T'challa. When asked if she could discuss who will be taking over as the Black Panther, Nyong'o played coy and responded by simply saying, "Don’t you just love a good secret?"
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrives in theaters on Nov. 11.
Source: LA Times