Black Panther: Wakanda Forever villain Namor had his visible bulge digitally removed in the movie after it was clearly noticeable in the trailer.
Namor's swimsuit-esque costume and body have always been the subject of some controversy, and bringing it to live-action was never going to be an easy task. The Black Panther 2 actor Tenoch Huerta's MCU look has already faced some criticism from Marvel Comics artist Mike Deodato, Jr. as he claimed himself, a 60-year-old man, to have a better physique than the man bringing him to life.
Director Ryan Coogler has even defended the decision to "lean into the weird stuff" to avoid losing the "unique features" and essence of what makes Namor so iconic in terms of his look and character:
“I think with making these types of movies, you’ve got to lean into the weird stuff, or you risk missing what makes it fun. He’s got really unique features and things that don’t necessarily go together. He can breathe underwater, obviously, but he’s got these little wings on his ankles. He’s got pointy ears and walks around in his underwear. It’s all fun, man.”
Now, with Black Panther 2 playing in theaters and Huerta's Namor being praised as one of the greatest MCU villains ever, fans have uncovered one strange change made to the character's design from the trailer to theaters. And it's absolutely hilarious.
Marvel Just Edited Namor's Bulge (Yes, Really)
As spotted by Twitter user @belovasoup, Marvel Studios made a surprising edit to Tenoch Huerta's Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever from the teaser trailer. The Talokan King can be seen to have had his crotch bulge digitally removed in the version that was screened in theaters, despite being visible in marketing.
Obviously, the styling of Namor's water-friendly costume means that Huerta's bulge would naturally stand out during production.
When the shot of the underwater mutant standing on a Wakandan beach debuted in the initial teaser trailer, this was clearly visible, and yet has been flattened digitally in time for release - the reason behind which is unclear.
Release the Namor's Bulge Cut
Answering the question of why Marvel Studios decided Namor's crotch needed to be invisible is a tough one, especially since this may be one of the strangest CGI decisions to come out of the studio. Obviously, this could have been achieved practically on set, indicating the decision was made in the editing room.
So, why can't a superhero have a visible bulge? Does Marvel consider that not to be heroic? Would noticeable genitals through a costume not be seen as family-friendly? These are tough questions to answer without the input of the cast and crew, but perhaps an in-universe explanation may be out there.
As a warrior heading into battle, Namor may well be wearing some kind of armor around his private area to protect it from attack. Or maybe, as ruler of Talokan, this could simply be part of his regal attire to make him appear more formal, as opposed to wearing what borders on simple swimwear.
Whatever the case, this will go down in history as one of the strangest decisions to come out of Marvel Studios, especially given the time and effort that will have gone into digitally removing Namor's bulge.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is playing now in theaters worldwide. Find out when the Wakandan sequel will likely be streaming on Disney+.
