Black Panther: Wakanda Forever's script included multiple scenes where Shuri and Namor displayed romantic interest in one another.
The sequel to 2018's Black Panther featured Letitia Wright's Shuri picking up the mantle of the Black Panther while also serving as the MCU debut for Tenoch Huerta as Namor.
Those two characters spent a decent amount of time on-screen together during the film's runtime. Their scenes together ranged from Namor giving a tour of Talokan to an epic one-on-one showdown during the movie's climax.
However, it seems as though it was originally intended for the two to discreetly showcase some romance toward each other at different points in the film.
Cut Romance Between Shuri and Namor
According to the official script for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, multiple scenes throughout the film originally included brief moments of romance between Namor and Shuri.
One notable section of the script was from the scene where Namor brings Shuri into his Memorabilia Hut before taking her into Talokan. The script notes that Shuri smiled at Namor, which "charmed him."
Shuri notices a blueish tinted PLANT (that looks like the Weber Azul) growing out of the pool. Namora nudges her toward Namor. Shuri smiles, charming him.
NAMOR: “You are safe here, Princess. I will not allow any harm to befall you while you are in my custody.
Another specific point from that same scene where some romantic undertones were displayed was when Shuri was asking Namor to let Dominique Thorne's Riri Williams come back to Wakanda with her.
In the script, Shuri asked Namor to let Riri go and keep her instead, which prompted them to look at each other with an "interested" gaze.
Namor eyes Shuri. Their gaze... interested.
Another instance between the characters occurred when Namor actually took Shuri down into the city where his people live. After she was awestruck with the beauty of the underwater community, the script stated that Namor was "smitten as they (swam) off."
Shuri looks at Namor, who is deeply moved.
NAMOR: “Would you still like to see the garden?”
Namor smiles, smitten, and they swim off as Riri watches.
After Shuri and Namor returned, Riri asked Shuri about their time together. Riri said to her, "It looked like you guys were floating off on a date," which prompted Shuri to give her a "look."
It is important to note that these scenes were apparently never filmed according to Production Designer, who said via Twitter that there was "curiosity" between them, but "never any scenes" that would qualify as "physical intimacy."
This was in response to a comment made by Wakanda Forever editor Michael P. Shawver that stated there was a romance between Shuri and Namor that was removed from the film.
Why Didn't Wakanda Forever Include a Love Story?
Many fans have previously stated that there seemed to be some sort of deeper connection between Shuri and Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. However, the script now proves that at one point it was supposed to be more present than it actually was in the final cut.
Wakanda Forever ultimately was a love letter to Chadwick Boseman, as a major part of the film revolved around the characters grieving the death of T'Challa. This undoubtedly brought a lot of emotional heaviness to many parts of the movie, and director Ryan Coogler may have thought that incorporating a love story into the plot would have been too much.
It is also possible that Marvel Studios is saving Namor and/or Shuri to be romantically involved with other characters. Many fans have expressed interest in Namor being with Sue Storm from the Fantastic Four whenever that character gets introduced into the MCU.
