Despite the vast and ever-increasing roster of characters available to Kevin Feige as he plots the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the company’s recently-appointed Chief Creative Officer has frequently reiterated his desire to bring even more fresh faces into the biggest franchise in history. As well as being keen to reboot the likes of the former Netflix heroes into the MCU, the studio will also be looking to introduce some fan-favorite names that have yet to appear on the big screen.
One of the biggest and most popular heroes that has yet to receive their MCU debut is Namor, which may have something to do with rights issues. Much like the Hulk, the movie rights to Namor belong to Universal, which means that like Bruce Banner’s green alter-ego, the Prince of Atlantis could theoretically appear as a supporting character in a Marvel Studios blockbuster, but couldn’t headline a standalone movie.
However, recent rumors have indicated that Namor could be on his way to the MCU sooner rather than later. A casting call from earlier this year hinted that Marvel were looking for an actor of Asian descent to play ‘the ruler of an ancient, distant kingdom,’ while the possible reveal of Black Panther II’s working title also hints at Atlantean involvement.
Whether Namor makes his MCU debut on the big screen or as part of a Disney Plus series, the role will instantly become one of the most coveted in Hollywood whenever the casting process begins. And despite the character’s involvement in future projects not being made official as of yet, sources close to We Got This Covered – the same ones who told us She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel shows were in development, and that Black Adam will appear in Shazam! 3, all of which have since been confirmed – have tipped us off that former The Walking Dead star Steven Yeun is one of the names on the studio’s wishlist.
The 35 year-old certainly fits the criteria detailed on August’s casting call, and despite being so closely linked to his six-year stint as Glenn on AMC’s hit zombie show, since leaving The Walking Dead Yeun has shown a willingness to tackle all different kinds of performances in various genres, including bonkers action/horror/comedy Mayhem, Netflix hit Okja, the critically-acclaimed Sorry to Bother You and next year’s adaptation of award-winning play The Humans. While he may not fit the obvious superhero template, Yeun has certainly shown enough range in recent years to demonstrate that he could be a solid addition to the MCU as Namor.
