“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” introduced one of the most amazing characters in the MCU’s Phase 4, Namor. The submariner introduced us to his kingdom of Talokan and was a formidable threat to Wakanda. The film established him as the first mutant in the MCU (for now) and made it clear that he’s treated as a god by his people. Now, none of this establishes a connection between him and Killmonger. Both of them are different characters with different motivations. But in a new interview, a designer for Marvel Studios has commented that the two are more alike than you might have thought before. So let’s find out how.
‘Black Panther 2’ Designer Reveals Connection Between Killmonger And Namor
During an interview with Wakanda Forever: The Official Black Panther Podcast, Hannah Beachler, the production designer on the movie, talked about what makes Namor and Killmonger similar characters. She mentioned that director Ryan Coogler gave Namor many names, just like he did with Killmonger. It was to establish their sense of not belonging anywhere. Beachler said that having multiple names doesn’t let one settle anywhere peacefully since one is torn over which is the one they belong to. This is a unique perspective on the idea of not belonging to one place. We have seen characters with different names. The biggest one is DC’s crown jewel, Superman. His Kryptonian name is Kal-El; while on Earth, he is called Clark Kent, and to everyone else on the planet, he is known as Superman. In many of Superman’s stories, he questions his place on Earth, feeling torn between being an alien and a human.
While Killmonger or Namor aren’t aliens, they do feel othered due to the effects of slavery and colonization. So they don’t know how to reconcile their place on the planet. Killmonger, N’Jadaka, Eric, or Namor (K’uk’ulkan) have various names that keep them wondering the same. Interestingly, they are connected because they are conflicted about their connection with their homelands.
Fleshing Out Namor
In the podcast, Hannah Beachler also talked about how she fleshed out Namor’s history. The designer said that she and her team put motifs of the moon and the sun on his throne room doors. She also added hieroglyphics that told the myths about the two celestial bodies. Also, the designer added the tale of Talokan’s establishment. She also noted that the design team added the mural of the calabash tree that reaches deep into the three underworld realms. These realms are the upper, the middle, and the underworld. Interestingly, Namor is a part of all three since he can fly in the sky, walk on land, and also breathe underwater. Beachler notes that she added all these details and more because she wanted any Mexican or Latino child to feel proud of their culture. It’s something that the first Black Panther movie did for young African-American boys or girls, so she wanted to replicate that.
Beachler further said that she had a heavy burden on her to tell the legends and myths correctly without appropriating them. She further said that she wanted to get to the truth and create a Talokan that was inspired by those tales and legends. Hannah succeeded because she gave Talokan its own identity and history while drawing from real-life ones. Even though Wakanda and Talokan live in the shadows of slavery and colonization, anyone looking at these places will feel a sense of pride in their culture.
Where Will We See Namor Next In The MCU?
After watching “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” MCU fans want to see Namor in his solo film. But that’s not a possibility for now. This is because the character’s rights are tangled up with the Universal. It’s a similar situation that’s also affecting another character, the Hulk. Due to this, we haven’t seen a Hulk solo movie in the MCU until now. So where can Namor appear next if not in his film?
There’s speculation that he might appear in Marvel’s “Fantastic Four” movie because he has a connection with Sue Storm. However, it’s unlikely that Marvel Studios will bring in that conflict right in the first film itself. As such, it’s more plausible that we will see him next in “The Thunderbolts” or “Captain America: New World Order.” After all, both movies are rumored to deal with the aftermath of finding Adamantium on an island. As such, it will be a race between countries to see who can get that metal first.
Several Marvel insiders have hinted that Adamantium will be considered even more valuable than Vibranium in the MCU. Now, since the island where it gets found is in the ocean, maybe Namor will want to have the first claim over the metal. As a result, it might cause him to get into trouble with the other MCU heroes. However, this is just speculation. It remains to be seen where Namor actually shows up next in the MCU.
