To the disappointment of some fans, Avengers: Endgame was the first MCU movie not to feature a post-credits scene, meaning that the studio’s plans for Phase 4 remain very unclear. That being said, we already know of a few projects that are on the way, including Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther 2. And in one of the aforementioned sequel’s earliest scenes, the seeds may’ve been planted for the arrival of a major comic book character who’ll debut in T’Challa’s next standalone outing.
The moment comes when Black Widow is speaking to various heroes via hologram. Okoye, in particular, mentions something about seismic activity in the ocean on the African plate. Hearing this news, Nat asks how the Black Panther star plans to deal with the situation, to which she responds:
“It’s an earthquake under the ocean. We handle it by not handling it.”
It’s a throwaway line on first glance, not holding much meaning on the surface, but dive a little deeper (pun intended) and this could very well be a reference to none other than Namor. And now, a casting call for an upcoming Marvel movie seems to lend credence to that.
From what we understand, the studio will begin shooting one of their upcoming Phase 4 films in Australia this fall and are seeking someone to play a “wise, old statesman,” who is “the leader of his people.” No names have been mentioned just yet, but they’re looking at Asian actors between the age of 40 and 60.
Meanwhile, they’re also searching for a a female Asian actress, in her 30s or 40s, to play “one of the leader’s most skilled warriors.” Again, no names are currently linked to the part, but speculation has already begun.
Though the film these casting calls are for is still unknown, Geeks Worldwide believe the project in question is Black Panther 2 and that the first role mentioned above is Namor. They do note that it could also be for the Mandarin in Shang-Chi, but given what we know about Coogler’s upcoming sequel so far, it fits better with that.
Now would be a great time to introduce the Sub-Mariner into the fold as well, as he has major ties to both the X-Men – he’s part-mutant – and the Fantastic Four. And thanks to Disney’s buyout of 20th Century Fox, Marvel has the rights back to those two properties.
Still, it’s best not to get too excited just yet, as we could be way off base here. But if Namor is indeed to set to debut in Black Panther 2, tell us, who would you like to see play him?
