Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will reportedly find its main villain in Namor the Sub-Mariner.
Rumors have circulated that Namor the Submariner would play a prominent role in the upcoming Black Panther sequel, though the nature of his role remained unclear and unconfirmed. Insider Charles Murphy was recently asked just how big Namor's role would be in Wakanda Forever, to which he responded, "I mean he's the primary antagonist, so...."
In February 2022, photos leaked from the set of Wakanda Forever fueled further speculation that Namor 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 the lost city of Atlantis and Namor the Sub-Mariner, which have both been rumored to play a prominent role in the movie.
Speculation surrounding Namor's appearance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever began circulating in June 2021, after a new rumor suggested that Tenoch Huerta (Narcos: Mexico, Spectre) had been cast as the character. The rumor also stated that the film would include Namor's fellow Atlanteans Namora and Attuma. 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."
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 the comics, his kingdom is frequently at war with the nation of Wakanda, something teased in a synopsis released for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The synopsis emphasizes 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 as a way to protect their respective ways of life.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever began filming in Atlanta, GA on June 29, 2021, but production has paused several times since then due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Most recently, production shut down again after Nakia actor Lupita Nyong'o tested positive for COVID-19. The film serves as a sequel to 2018's Black Panther, which starred the late Chadwick Boseman as King T'Challa/Black Panther. Wakanda Forever's plot was restructured following Boseman's death in 2020.
Directed by Ryan Coogler, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrives in theaters on Nov. 11, 2022.
Source: Twitter