The mutant invasion is coming to the MCU. With Ms. Marvel and Professor X having their mutant moment, the long-running superhero film franchise will quickly add another powerful mutant to the fold.
In a recent interview with Empire, MCU leader Kevin Feige, director Ryan Coogler, and actor Tenoch Huerta discussed the inclusion of Namor in the upcoming film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
For Coolger, he says a villain like this is exactly what the movies needed, the filmmaker stating: “The contrast between T’Challa and Namor – their characters and their nations – just leaps off the page. He’s a dream antagonist.”
According to Kevin Feige, the plans for Namor to enter the MCU started all the way back during the original Black Panther in 2018. “Ryan had a pitch for a tag at the end of Black Panther,” said Feige. “The camera would push through the palace in Wakanda, and then we’d see wet footprints leading up to the throne.”
The most interesting detail in this interview comes from confirmation of a much-hyped online theory. According to Tenoch Huerta, his Namor is indeed a mutant. With only light references before, this makes Namor one of the very first mutant characters to appear in the MCU. With Namor often described as “Marvel’s first mutant” in the comics, this seems very fitting.
Huerta also went on to tease how Namor gets involved in the political and hectic world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With T’Challa’s decision to confirm to the world that Wakanda does exist, Namor believes this will hurt his homeland. “That decision puts Talocan in jeopardy,” states Huerta. “And Talocan has to take action to protect themselves.”
In Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke),Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba), fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever reunites Ryan Coogler with his Black Panther stars Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Lupita Nyong’o, Florence Kasumba, Angela Bassett, and Martin Freeman, while new additions include Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams/Ironheart, Tenoch Huerta as Namor, Michaela Coel as Aneka, and Lake Bell, Mabel Cadena and Alex Livanalli in as-yet-unrevealed roles.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is scheduled for release on November 11th, 2022.
