With Black Panther: Wakanda Forever having introduced Tenoch Huerta’s Namor to the world, where might the MCU utilize him next?
Huerta offered a strong performance as the Sub-Mariner, and fans undoubtedly want to see more of him sooner rather than later.
Thankfully, according to a previous rumor, the Talokan ruler's fight against Wakanda seems to be just the beginning of Namor's journey onscreen.
Previous Signs of Tenoch Huerta's Future
At the beginning of the year, Bleeding Cool reported that they had heard that Namor’s debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was "to set up an upcoming franchise” focused on the Talokan anti-hero:
“I am told that Marvel Studios consider Namor’s appearance in Black Panther 2 to be akin to Black Panther’s appearance in Civil War to set up an upcoming franchise.”
That rumor painted the picture of Namor as a staple of the Marvel Cinematic Universe going forward.
In a separate article from Total Film, when asked about the potential for Namor to crossover into other projects or a spin-off, Tenoch Huerta joked that “[he] want[s] a bigger contract:”
“I hope so! I hope so!! Because I want a bigger contract! I want more zeroes in my contract! No, I’m joking. I mean, the mythology around Namor is huge. You can be crazy with all this cultural aspect, and you can create a lot of things with Namor, because they take a fantastic source of stories and mythology and religion and everything. So I hope they decide to keep going with the character, past its own story or whatever.”
On the red carpet event for Wakanda Forever, when asked about the potential for Namor to get his own film, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige candidly replied, “we’ll see, depends on [Black Panther].”
So what are some possible timelines that Namor’s story could branch out into?
Starting a Franchise
If Bleeding Cool's sources were accurate, then Marvel is looking to start up a franchise. What does this mean? Well, it would indicate that the studio wants the character to be leading his own projects alongside other franchises like Black Panther, Thor, or Ant-Man.
These hypothetical movies would be the best way to explore not only Namor as a character but also Talokan as a whole and its place in the world. How did they deal with Thanos' big snap? How updated on world events are they? Do they not care about the big Celestial that came out of the ocean in Eternals?
However, the current slate is already looking jam-packed, so a solo endeavor might not be the most likely option. Though, there's always the option of a Special Presentation like Werewolf By Night, which is far easier to squeeze between projects.
While the Namor may go on to lead movies, he's almost certainly going to be appearing in several projects down the line. But which ones?
Targeted by the Thunderbolts
The first option is one potentially directly linked to Wakanda Forever: the Thunderbolts movie.
The power-hungry Val, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, made it clear that she has it out for Wakanda. Namely, she seems to want their nation’s resource of Vibranium.
It feels likely that her desires are going to escalate the situation. Perhaps she forms the Thunderbolts as a secret weapon to get what she wants from Wakanda.
Doing so might even start a war with Wakanda, something that could bring Namor and his people into play, given his alliance pact with Shuri. There’s also the possibility that Val’s search for Vibranium will naturally ring her to Talokan’s doorstep—which wouldn’t go smoothly for anyone involved.
Flirting With the Fantastic Four
In the comics, the Fantastic Four are known for their exploration, discoveries of new worlds, people, concepts, and more—it’s their bread and butter.
The odds of them stumbling into Talokan are extremely high, which is why the team’s upcoming reboot might be the next place the character pops up.
Namor also has a fun connection to the team: he’s really into Sue Storm, and their odd, on-and-off flirtatious courtship is an intriguing dynamic to play with. This is especially true since she happens to be married to Reed Richards—it’s complicated, to say the least.
Alongside his adoration for Sue, Namor holds strong respect for her as well. In fact, Invisible Woman might be the key to calming down Namor's thirst for vengeance against the entire surface world.
2025’s Fantastic Four would certainly be the perfect time for it, given the next few projects that follow. It could make the character a better team player.
An Alliance With the Avengers
When it comes to Marvel Studios’ tentpole movies, it’s easy to assume Namor will take part in either, or both, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty or Secret Wars. Honestly, it’s likely that nearly every Marvel character ever brought to the screen will play some sort of role in those proceedings.
However, when it comes to Namor, he’s a big deal. Not only is the mutant extremely powerful, but he also rules one of the deadliest forces on planet Earth, aka the nation of Talokan.
When Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror comes poking around trying to do his thing, Namor won’t be happy. While Kang will probably make short work of any direct attempts to thwart him, Tenoch Huerta’s anti-hero will undoubtedly get involved, leading him to interact with the wider MCU.
The same goes for Secret Wars. While it’s not clear how exactly Marvel Studios will approach the story, it’ll no doubt include Namor. He could possibly even become a member of Earth-616’s eventual Illuminati, a group he’s a part of in the comics.
Make Way for the Mutants
Wakanda Forever makes it clear that Namor has retained his mutant status in the Marvel Cinematic Universe—something said verbatim by the character himself.
Even after the brief mutant tease at the end of Ms. Marvel, that revelation doesn’t mean much… yet. But when Marvel does decide to get those wheels turning, and the X-Gene gets more time to shine, then Namor will almost certainly be included in more than one future storyline alongside characters such as the X-Men.
As of now, fans have no idea when the fan-favorite group will even show their faces. It might not even happen until Phase 7, which will be the beginning of a whole new MCU saga.
Namor Is Here To Stay
Tenoch Huerta did a fantastic job bringing to life the iconic Marvel Comics anti-hero—a sentiment that most moviegoers seem to agree with. Given that reaction and simply how big of a character he is lore-wise, it's no surprise the powers that be want more of the fierce leader in the MCU.
On top of potentially headlines films, and the potential appearances mentioned above, Namor is likely to return to the Black Panther franchise, assuming a third film does happen.
One fan-favorite idea for the threequel would involve Doctor Doom and his fictional nation of Latveria getting involved—something many had hoped would play into Wakanda Forever.
However, what’s important to make clear is that in some way, shape, or form, Namor is here to stay.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now playing in theaters worldwide.
