Why does Namor want to kill Ironheart in Black Panther 2? Namor the Sub-Mariner is the main villain in Wakanda Forever, and one of his primary motivations in Black Panther 2 seems to be killing Riri Williams, the talented MIT student otherwise known as Ironheart.
The connection between Ironheart and Namor might seem random. One is a teenager who was inspired by Tony Stark to get into engineering and design their own Iron Man-like suit, and the other is a water-breathing mutant and the ruler of the underwater kingdom Talocan.
But what ties these two Black Panther characters together? Fundamentally, why does Namor want to kill Ironheart? The answer, of course, is the same thing that is the root of a lot of Wakanda‘s problems: Vibranium.
Why does Namor want to kill Ironheart?
Namor wants to kill Ironheart to protect Talocan. This is because Ironheart invented a machine that detects Vibranium, which in turn put the underwater nation on the US Government’s radar.
Because Riri invented the machine, Namor thinks that the only way that Talocan can avoid being targeted by the Government for their Vibranium is to kill her. He tells Shuri that killing her is the only way to ensure Talocan’s safety.
However, Shuri, Queen Ramonda, and the rest of Wakanda decide to protect Riri from Namor, which ends up having dire consequences, including putting Wakanda at war with Talocan.
If you want to get to know the actors behind Namor, Ironheart, Shuri, and more check out our guide to the Black Panther cast. Be sure to check out our guide on the Black Panther 2 post-credit scene before you see the superhero movie in theatres on November 11, and if you have seen it and want to know about a potential sequel, well, we have a guide to everything we know about Black Panther 3. Enjoy!