Marvel Studios reportedly had its eye on WWE Superstar Damian Priest for Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

In a report from Fightful Select, producers of the hit Marvel Cinematic Universe sequel had approached Priest for "a significant role." With no past acting experience beyond wrestling, it is believed that Priest was asked to read for at least two roles which included the king of Talokan and an unknown member of the underwater civilization; It is unknown if Priest had officially auditioned for either role. The part of Namor ultimately went to actor Tenoch Huerta.

RELATED: Zac Efron's Von Erich Film, The Iron Claw, Casts Its Ric Flair

Real name Luis Martinez, the future WWE Superstar cut his teeth in the ring at Monster Factory Pro Wrestling before signing with Ring of Honor (ROH) in 2015. Billed as "Punisher Martinez," he made a name for himself by defeating Silas Young for the ROH World Television Championship in 2018. That same year, Martinez left ROH after his contract expired and signed with WWE as part of the NXT brand.

From 2018 to 2021, Martinez, now billed as "Damian Priest," adopted a rockstar-like heel persona as he engaged in feuds with future stars such as Pete Dunne, Keith Lee and Finn Balor. He won the NXT North American Championship in a ladder match at NXT TakeOver: XXX and later lost the belt to Johnny Gargano at Halloween Havoc 2020. Priest debuted on the main roster as a participant in the 2021 Royal Rumble, teamed up with hip-hop star Bad Bunny for a tag team match at Wrestlemania 37, had a U.S. Championship title run and eventually became a member of the heel stable, the Judgement Day.

RELATED: Namor’s Talokan Backstory Is Perfect for Disney+

Priest was not the only wrestling superstar considered for the Sub-Mariner. Dwayne Johnson's name had been rumored to be linked to Namor when a stand-alone movie by Universal was being developed in the 2000s. The ex-WWE Superstar-turned-movie icon eventually set his sights on DC's Black Adam instead. Additionally, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows star, Brian Tee expressed his desire to play Namor, describing the character as his dream role.

In the end, it would be the Narcos: Mexico star who would bring Namor to life on the big screen. It was an experience that Huerta found overwhelming. "I mean, everybody pretends to be a superhero or to be part of [these] movies, and then you are part of them, and then you are the superhero, and then you are wearing the costume," Huerta explained. "And it's your skin, your voice, your range, your talent, your story. I don't know, it's overwhelming."

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is playing in theaters now.

Source: Fightful Select