While MCU lovers maybe not familiar with the character have been excited for Namor the Sub-Mariner to enter the fray in the incoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, those well-versed in the underwater king’s comic book lore know he’s a much more complicated character than simply Marvel’s equivalent to DC’s Aquaman. While that Justice Leaguer is a tried and true hero, Namor’s morality is a little harder to define.
The first full trailer for Black Panther 2, which just debuted today, makes clear this is something that will be carried over into the MCU, as it painted Namor very much as the villain of the piece, with the Talocan monarch and his mermen military attacking the weakened Wakanda. While opening up about the film with Entertainment Weekly, director Ryan Coogler confirmed what we all suspected about Namor. As he elaborated:
“He’s always been really cool and charismatic, but also arrogant. He’s kind of an asshole, kind of romantic, and just incredibly powerful.”
When we first learned that Marvel was swapping Namor’s kingdom of Atlantis for Talocan, another legendary underwater kingdom from Aztec mythology, many got themselves in a huff over the supposedly huge changes the studio was making to the character, who’s actually one of the oldest characters in Marvel’s toybox, having debuted in 1939.
It’s become increasingly clear that this is baloney, however, as Coogler’s promise that Namor will be a massive jerk just like he is on the page attests. For those who are unaware, Namor’s whole shtick is that he hates humanity for endangering his people, a militant outlook that has led him into conflict with many Marvel heroes — like the Fantastic Four and the Avengers — over the decades.
It’s not just his attitude that will be authentic to the source material, either, as it’s already been confirmed that Namor will likewise be a mutant in the MCU, making him the latest to be folded into the franchise in recent months. As half-Talocan and half-mutant, the Sub-Mariner is one formidable foe, so the warriors of Wakanda definitely have their work cut out for them in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which swims into theaters on Nov. 11.