Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the MCU's final Phase Four movie, revisiting the reclusive nation Wakanda as the kingdom tries to protect its future without T'Challa to guide it. Wakanda has never been this vulnerable, without a Black Panter to guide it. Then a new threat arises, the aquatic warrior Namor.
In 2018's Black Panther, Wakanda was pushed to the brink when the scarred Erik Killmonger arrived to question the kingdom's policies and challenge T'Challa. Killmonger may be gone, but in many ways, Namor is like Killmonger 2.0, displaying many parallels with that fallen warrior. Once again, Wakanda's very fate hangs in the balance, and Namor has many of the same weapons and tricks Killmonger once did.
10 Namor & Killmonger Have An Aptitude For Leadership
Some of the MCU's best villains are also leaders. Thanos commanded the fearsome Black Order and Xu Wenwu had an entire army at his disposal. Erik Killmonger was an effective war leader in Black Panther, and he was also comfortable on the Wakandan throne when he usurped T'Challa.
Namor is also a warrior-king, and he is an even mightier leader than Killmonger ever was. Namor has led his people in Talokan for a few centuries now, and he rules that undersea uncontested. Anyone who challenges Namor will soon face his entire army in battle.
9 Namor & Killmonger Both Led Armies Into Battle In Wakanda
Erik Killmonger and Namor both made good use of their respective kingdoms' armies in each Black Panther movie. These villains went all-out when they waged war on Wakanda, likely being the only two people in history to actually lead an army into the secluded nation successfully.
Killmonger sent his large, well-equipped army into battle on Wakanda's plains, which made for a climactic final battle as brother fought brother. Then, in Wakanda Forever, Namor led his troops into Wakanda and raided it before fighting the final battle elsewhere on neutral grounds.
8 Namor & Killmonger Wish To Protect Their People
Namor and Killmonger both waged war on Wakanda, but not purely for conquest. They were less interested in conquering Wakanda and more interested in proving a point about the need to defend their own people from outside threats.
The Wakandan civil war Killmonger sparked was about protecting Wakandans and the African diaspora around the world. Namor, meanwhile, fought Wakanda to force its people to join him in waging war against plundering nations around the globe. Killmonger and Namor both hoped it wouldn't come to war, but it did.
7 Namor & Killmonger Fought To Avenge A Parent
For some MCU heroes or villains, the fight is personal. The heroic Shang-Chi fought to help keep his mother's spirit at rest, and Tony Stark was enraged when he saw Bucky Barnes assassinate his parents in 1991. Erik Killmonger and Namor also fought on behalf of a parent.
Killmonger's father, T'Chaka's brother and T'Challa's uncle, had died unfairly and Killmonger couldn't accept that. For his part, Namor fought for the memory of his mother, who represented Namor's connection to the land and the Mesoamerican civilization that Spanish conquistadors destroyed and plundered.
6 Namor & Killmonger Are Both Sympathetic
In the end, Namor and Killmonger are villains, and their methods and actions are too extreme to make them misunderstood heroes or righteous crusaders. Then again, the MCU's best villains, including Thanos himself, are at least a little bit sympathetic, in terms of their goals.
Deep down, Killmonger truly wanted to protect the African diaspora, and he aimed to preserve lives rather than take them. Namor was also right to fear and resent the outside world since it destroyed his ancestors' civilization. He also fought hard for all Talokan civilians, all of whom were innocent.
5 Namor & Killmonger Both Could Have Been Heroes
Some MCU villains were bad from the start, such as the irredeemable Red Skull, a Nazi collaborator, and the warlike Hela of Asgard. However, Namor and Erik Killmonger both could have been heroes, or at least neutral third parties, if they had played their cards right.
Killmonger could have rejoined his fellow Wakandans and fought alongside them to protect the nation while also peacefully advocating activism. Namor could have remained at home in Talokan and merely continued his defensive policies without ever waging unprovoked war on modern nations.
4 Namor & Killmonger Are Both Charismatic
Any movie villain can shout threats and act tough, but that's a cheap and predictable way for a villain to make their goals and presence known. Compelling MCU villains like Erik Killmonger and Namor have charisma and charm on their side, meaning they can win over people with gently spoken words.
Killmonger used force to win over the Wakandans, but he also used his strong rhetoric to convince many of them to join his cause. Namor, in Wakanda Forever, was even more magnetic. When he spoke with Ranomda and Shuri, he knew how to threaten with sweet words and appeal to his listeners' emotions and pull the audience along with him.
3 Namor & Killmonger Both Almost Killed The Black Panther
The Black Panther is Wakanda's ultimate defender, augmented by the heart-shaped herb and a near-indestructible suit of black vibranium. It takes a truly powerful warrior to even threaten the Black Panther, but Erik Killmonger and Namor nearly slew their respective Black Panthers.
That shows how powerful these villains are, and it helps that they had their own vibranium weapons to even the odds. Killmonger pushed T'Challa to the limit with his own Black Panther outfit, and Namor came close to killing Shuri, the new Black Panther, with his vibranium spear in battle.
2 Namor & Killmonger Both Have Animal-Themed Costumes
Villain costume designs vary greatly in the MCU, from Ivan Vanko's whip-bearing metal suit to Loki's green and gold garb, but few of those outfits have a specific theme. Erik Killmonger and Namor both have animal-themed costumes that mean a lot in their respective cultures.
The Black Panther is the icon of Wakanda, and in Black Panther, Killmonger obtained his own Black Panther suit to rival T'Challa's. Namor's costume involves an ornate and durable feathered snake headdress, serving as both a crown and a combat helmet. His headdress was both intimidating and gorgeous in the movie, and designated leadership in Talokan culture.
1 Killmonger & Namor Both Encouraged Wakanda To Rethink Its Policies
Aside from its advanced technology and vibranium, Wakanda is largely defined by its isolationist policies. All Wakandan battles are defensive in nature, including those in both Black Panther movies, but Namor and Killmonger hoped to change that.
Namor and Killmonger tried using force, words, and empathy to convince the Wakandans to change their ways, and it almost worked each time. Killmonger wanted Wakanda to take an active role in protecting the global African diaspora, and Namor hoped that Wakanda would open its borders and help him destroy all colonizing nations.