‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ fans have a highly specific Namor question that needs answering

One of the wonderful things about the internet is that we have a whole host of people to answer our questions at just the click of a button, no matter how big or small those questions may be. And for Marvel fans that means they can find out almost anything their heart desires when they have an entire global network of sleuths at their disposal. So, of course, they want to know what bird Namor‘s ankle wings are based on.

Though the question may seem like a trivial one, there was likely a fair amount of time and research put into this decision in pre-production, and then a lot more time in post-production where artists used CGI to create those wings. So given that, there is probably a concept artist and a few visual designers out there that are really happy that someone is asking these questions.

Namor’s wings are not a part of either his human ancestry or derived from the powers he gained by drinking the flower that turned his people into the Talokanil. They are, in fact, a mutation, making him one of the first and oldest mutants in the MCU so far. The design is based on the one from the comics, where Namor comes not from Talokan but Atlantis, and it is likely that the original inspiration for the winged feet comes from the Greek mythological figure Hermes, God of Thieves, Trade, and Heralds.

Unlike Hermes though, Namor’s wings are a part of his body, sprouting from his ankles. Now fans want to know exactly what bird the wings took inspiration from.

After one fan mentioned the Osprey as an option, many picked up on how appropriate a choice that would be.

Though they certainly aren’t as colourful as a hummingbird’s wings, they do move like them.

One user confirms that this was the case.

Some chose to go with other birds of prey.

Is this person implying Namor is a chicken?

One user truly has a lot of belief in Tenoch’s “method” acting.

For some, the choice to go with the white wings was a little bit of a let down considering all the brightly colored native birds found in that part of the world.

What we do know is, that, unlike a regular bird’s wings, Namor’s will grow back after being cut off.

Though it is still not clear which bird exactly Namor’s wings take their inspiration from, there is one thing we all know, there is no way he should physically be able to get off the ground with those tiny things.