Is Namor a villain in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever?’ What about the comics?

Right now, the legacy of a legend and his ultimate loss is explored in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It features the long-awaited debut of the Namor character, and, while he appears to be an antagonist in the piece, he is not necessarily an evil figure.

Portrayer Tenoch Huerta says in an interview earlier this year, his role is more of an anti-hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As well, the Namor of the comics initially attacked the surface world, but, after encountering a policewoman who became his first love, he ultimately chose to help humanity and entered the Second World War with a precursor group to the Avengers we all know.

From here, much of the character’s history is filled with turns and twists which have had him fighting the surface to protect the seas or allying with other characters in the Marvel universe to defend against bigger threats. Namor has crossed paths with T’Challa in a number of stories, as is the nature of comic book publishing, but, their rivalry is most notable in recent work.

In Hickman’s Avengers vs. X-Men, Namor ends up being corrupted by the power of the Phoenix force and floods Wakanda. This appears to be something the film will touch on, the incident caused untold damage and though the force later leaves the Atlantean king, Wakanda ultimately takes vengeance and leads evil forces to Namor’s home which they then ruin while slaughtering many.

Ultimately, at the core of the dynamic between the two is a set of contrasting philosophies. While T’Challa and Wakanda protect what is theirs with ferocity while being willing to show grace and compassion toward their enemies, Namor has historically been a cynical and nihilistic figure who uses whatever means to get to the ends he wants without hesitation. He has been willing to kill entire planets to save the one he lives on, has taunted T’Challa with jokes about how he has ravaged his home and often is ruthless.

Of course, it is possible what we have been teased with is deceiving and, if not, the next two Avengers movies are coming in 2025 and 2026. So, it could be the case the two come together then, put aside their differences and work with others on a bigger threat.

We shall see. But, director Ryan Coogler likens Namor to the Terminator and says, when audiences see him on the screen, the same swagger comes out and, much like Schwarzenegger’s signature role, you will believe him when he says what he will do.