‘Black Panther 2’ drew from unlikely influences for a ‘fresh’ take on Atlantis

One of the characters fans are most excited about in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is Namor, played by Tenoch Huerta, and there are many questions bubbling to the surface about his underwater kingdom of Talocan. Production designer Hannah Beachler shared that the movie will feature an Atlantis like nothing anyone has ever seen before.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Beachler revealed that the inspiration for Namor’s homeworld came from Steven Spielberg’s Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and imagery from Jack Kirby comics. Kirby is an infamous DC and Marvel Comics creator known for such stellar works as New Gods and Silver Surfer, and he remains as one of the most influential writers/artists in comic book history.

“We did a deep dive, because we wanted to get it right,” Beachler said. “I think this is going to be the freshest Atlantis that you’ll ever see. Certainly with Ryan Coogler at the helm, it’s going to be special.”

Talocan isn’t a location in the comic books and isn’t part of Namor’s origin story. It’s an MCU creation that will replace Atlantis in the movie likely due in part to DC’s Aquaman presiding over Atlantis in his titular movie by James Wan. Talocan is inspired by Mayan culture, and it’s a distinct nation with its own history. Similar to Wakanda, Talocan an advanced civilization that hides in plain sight, and in the Wakanda Forever trailer, M’Baku is urging those in his community not to engage in battle with the underwater world, and that killing Namor will bring eternal war.

Costume designer Ruth E. Carter talked about how she utilized jade and aquatic elements in the clothing of the characters from Talocan. She used animals such as lionfish and sharks as influences and made ornate feather headdresses inspired by ancient Mayan headdresses.”You would put a costume in the water, and it would automatically look like ballet,” said Carter. “It looked like those fish we love to watch on the National Geographic channel.”

Director Ryan Coogler also shared that there would be a focus on water, the color blue, and that Wakanda Forever would use a different camera technique to capture the fog of loss. No detail is going to waste in this movie, and if all goes well, Beachler and Carter could wind up winning more Oscar awards for their work.