It’s not absurd to assume Namor could be making an appearance in Wakanda Forever, especially now that the film is said to focus on the history and people of Wakanda, given the passing of Chadwick Boseman. If the Atlanteans do show up at some point in the movie alongside their Prince, there are a few key elements Marvel needs to get right, in order to create a convincing live-action version of the Sub-Mariner.
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He’s Loyal To His People
Namor frequently acts with the best interests of the Atlantean people in mind, which often meant putting aside personal grudges for political gain in the Marvel Comics. In fact, his loyalty to the Atlanteans runs so deep that even after a period of exile, Namor still did his best to protect and preserve the lives of everyone living in Atlantis.
Regardless of the questionable things he’s done, Namor cares deeply about his people. He knows when to trade personal gratification for the good of others and Wakanda Forever should establish that Namor has a pretty strong relationship with his people.
He’s An Anti-Hero
The Black Panther sequel is obviously meant to focus on the citizens of Wakanda, so Namor will likely take on more of a backseat, or antagonistic, role. In the comics, Namor struggles to differentiate between right and wrong, so he winds up as the villain in a lot of situations. However, even though Namor sometimes fails at being the good guy, he does have quite a few redeemable qualities that prevent him from being painted in black and white.
It’s true that Namor has battled popular heroes like the Avengers and The Fantastic Four, but even though he was supposed to be their enemy, these heroes eventually came to respect Namor. Capturing Namor’s good side in Wakanda Forever would make his character more complex and bring the live-action version closer to his true comic book nature. Doing so would also make him quite popular amongst MCU fans, given how well they’ve responded to characters like Wanda Maximoff and everyone’s favorite God of Mischief, Loki.
He’s A Mutant
Marvel Comics describes Namor as a mutant, giving his aliases like “the first mutant” and Marvel’s mightiest mutant.” With rumors of the X-Men returning to the franchise, making a point to acknowledge that Namor has mutant blood would make him the first official mutant in the MCU.
Bringing in Deadpool for the Deadpool 3 movie confirms that the X-Men canonically exist within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, by proxy. However, it’s unclear if Marvel Studios plans on bringing back any familiar X-Men faces. Emphasizing that Namor is a mutant could be the MCU’s first real step toward combining these two popular Marvel-inspired franchises.
He Wanted Peace With Wakanda
Before the Atlanteans entered an all-out war with Wakanda in the comics, Namor and T’Challa actually worked out a peace treaty that would prevent their people from fighting. At the time, T’Challa’s sister Shuri was ruling Wakanda, and it was her decision to reject Namor’s peace treaty. Shuri started the war between Wakanda and Atlantis, and a lot of people died in the process.
If Namor is going to be in the Wakanda Forever movie, the MCU should acknowledge that it wasn’t his choice to slaughter innocent Wakandans, and that his primary goal is to protect the city of Atlantis. Namor fought Wakanda because they were the ones to make the first move, and Namor was staying true to his nature by protecting his people. Allowing Shuri to take over as queen in her brother’s absence and giving her character a more complex plot line to follow would make her story more interesting, as well.
He’s One Of A Kind
The most important part of Namor that Wakanda Forever needs to get right is that Namor is one of a kind. He’s half Atlantean and half mutant, setting him apart from all other MCU characters which are humans with a special gift or talent. Namor is stronger than all other Atlanteans, humans, and quite possibly stronger than most heroes in the Marvel Universe.
Being so different from everyone else sets Namor apart from his allies and his enemies, and undoubtedly has had a major impact on how he views himself and the world around him. Having been given such a rich comic book history and an entirely unique genetic makeup, the MCU needs to emphasize how special Namor truly is.
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