Ryan Coogler had actually been planning for Namor to make an appearance within the MCU by first becoming a part of the Black Panther movies first. In fact, he had been planning this since post-Black Panther’s first movie, as if to make claims on one of the characters he loved to read about growing up. Given the short clip of Ramonda confronting Namor upon stepping onto Wakanda, it seems his idea of hyping Namor (as much as the fans loved Killmonger previously) does not stray far from his promised vision.
Speaking with Marvel’s official site, director Ryan Coogler praised Tenoch Huerta’s portrayal of Namor and even went as far as to reveal why other heroes such as Thor or Hulk would find it difficult dealing with someone like him. Read his full quote below:
Based on his comic book identity, Namor is the son of a sea captain and a princess of the underwater kingdom of Atlantis. With his strong desire to protect his underwater kingdom and community, along with his mutant identity, it goes to show just how much strength he holds in his hands.
Hulk is a mutate whose powers came from an external source, and with Namor actually coming to possession with mutant blood, there is no question he would be stronger in a fight, especially when his abilities can survive on both land and in water. But to compare Namor to that of the god of thunder is a different picture, which we would only be able to confirm as soon as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters on November 11.
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