Who Is the Actual Villain of Black Panther Wakanda Forever? War is imminent, according to the most recently Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer. At Wakanda’s lowest point, Namor (Tenoch Huerta), the movie’s antagonist, is surging in like a tsunami.
Although the structure of the tale will naturally alter, the grounds for a Black Panther sequel starring Namor remain just as compelling: He’s not just a villain. This is an echo of a long-running conflict between Black Panther and Namor in comic books. He is more than that.
Director Ryan Coogler reveals why the MCU version of Namor is a touch different from his comics counterpart in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. His kingdom is Talocan, a creation of Wakanda Forever that was modeled after Mayan culture and intended to be similar to Wakanda—mythical land of riches that is hidden in plain sight—rather than Atlantis. Talocan was inspired by Mayan culture.
According to Coogler to EW, “the movie deals with a lot of things, but one of them is foils — people who exist in contrast, but there’s a thread of similarity.” This quotation highlights what makes Namor the ideal Black Panther antagonist: He is T’Challa’s equal and opposite in many ways.
He is the suzerain ruler of an unconquered people who is fiercely committed to defending his people from the outside world. But while T’Challa in the first Black Panther eventually realized it was time to alter his nation’s practices, it appears Namor and Talocan have not yet experienced that growth.
This also resembles the friendship between T’Challa and Namor in comic books. Comics Despite having a long and complicated past, Namor (also known as the Sub-Mariner) and the Black Panther are such compelling foes because of the fact that they are not superheroes. They’re kings.
In comparison to the majority of the Marvel characters, Namor and the Black Panther function on an entirely different plane. They prioritize serving their community’s needs over all other causes.
As a result, they frequently find themselves at odds with characters who would otherwise be their allies, such as the Avengers for T’Challa and the X-Men for Namor (in comics, Namor is a mutant, which is…interesting given how the MCU has started using that word). This has wider ramifications for the entire world as a result of their actions.
Just said, a plot simply expands when one of these characters is introduced. The best comic book writers take use of this (Jonathan Hickman’s lengthy run on Avengers, particularly New Avengers, which extensively explores the conflict between T’Challa and Namor).
The unfortunate passing of Chadwick Boseman and, consequently, T’Challa means that the MCU adaptation of this story will, regrettably, need to adopt a slightly different approach.
All of that storytelling weight is still present, though. Wakanda is larger than one person, therefore whoever assumes the role of Black Panther will also need to stand up to Namor and test opposing ideologies about what qualities a leader should possess with the support of their respective countries.
CONFIRMED: #BlackPantherWakandaForever will be connected with the #SecretInvasion! pic.twitter.com/byPcF1c9ll
— MCU Source (@MCUSource) October 4, 2022
More nuanced than simple contrasts between good and evil or right and wrong are Black Panther and Namor. They believe that preserving a people, their identity, and their lasting impact on the globe is more important than saving the planet.
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