The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been slowly building its catalog of characters since Tony Stark was first introduced in 2008 with Iron Man. Over the past 14 years, the public has seen heroes like Dr. Strange, The Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye, Spider-Man and many others share the screen as the connected universe continues to expand. Now one of the first characters introduced by Marvel Comics is making its way to the big screen.
Namor the Sub-Mariner first arrived in Bill Everett’s MARVEL COMICS #1 in 1939 and appeared in numerous issues over the years. He’s a popular character in the comic book crowd, so surprisingly, he’s yet to arrive in the MCU. However, Namor will make its highly anticipated debut next month with the premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Foreverintroduces his character in a way that has never been done before.
During an interview with Marvel Entertainment at the movie’s red carpet premiere, president of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige discussed Namor, played by Tenoch Huerta, and why it took so long to get him on the big screen. Feige admits a script was commissioned over 18 years ago, though the project never got off the ground.
“Namor, as Marvel fans know, is one of, if not the original. Him and Human Torch right? And that’s on our lists forever. I remember putting it together 18 years ago, I think we even scripted it.” ordered 18 years ago, and the timing was never right and the idea was never right. [Director] Ryan Coogler started with a war between kingdoms in the first film. And if you’ve really added cultural specificity to Namor, and that’s definitely what he’s done in this movie, and it’s not Atlantis, it’s Talocan, and I can’t wait for people to meet the Talocaneal and Namor.”
Fans can see Huerta’s performance as Namor the Sub-Mariner when Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters later next month, on November 11.
Kevin Feige says Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a great introduction
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will serve as an introduction to Namor and the underwater kingdom of Talocan, something that fans have been waiting for a long time. However, the film also introduces the next Black Panther after the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman in 2020. Kevin Feige recognizes what the sequel is doing, tells Marvel Entertainment Wakanda forever serves as an important introduction to new kingdoms and characters.
“The reason this anchors phase four, and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special coming out soon, is because the phases are all about introductions, right? And phase four was all about — think of all the characters we met here And now “Finally, in the finale here of phase four, if we look at it in phases, we meet a whole new kingdom and a whole character that is the foundation of what we do at Marvel.”
Fans can see new and returning characters such as Angela Bassett, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Lake Bell, Martin Freeman, Florence Kasumba, Dominique Thorne, Winston Duke and Michaela Coel alongside Huerta. Audiences will flock to theaters on November 11, when: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever gets its premiere.