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Namor in Black Panther 2’s design is “all fun”, says Ryan Coogler

Ryan Coogler, the director of Black Panther 2, explains why he stuck with the comic book look for the new villain and MCU character Namor

Namor in Black Panther 2

It is safe to say that if you are a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, chances are that you are excited for the superhero movie Black Panther 2 to hit the big screen come November 11, 2022. And with the upcoming Marvel movie recently releasing a new trailer that saw a return to Wakanda and a new aquatic baddie, anticipation is at an all-time high.

Although plot details for Black Panther 2 have been largely kept under wraps, we do know that the flick will follow the fictional African nation of Wakanda dealing with the loss of its king T’Challa, who was played by Chadwick Boseman before he died in 2020. Along with the kingdom suffering from grief and searching for a successor, war seems to be looming with the underwater kingdom of Talocan, which ushers in new marine characters into the hit action movie‘s plot.

One of these aforementioned new faces seen in the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer was the Marvel villain and King of Talocan, Namor, played by Tenoch Huerta. However, Namor’s big on-screen debut isn’t exactly the image comic book fans may have had in mind.

This new Namor is very different from his comic book iteration, which detailed him as a mutant and the King of Atlantis (not Talocan). However, fear not, Marvel comic connoisseurs, although Namor’s backstory may change, his appearance is eerily similar, right down to the wings on his feet. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, director Ryan Coogler justified these changes while keeping the character’s core look, saying he wanted to lean into the fun of Namor.

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“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,” Coogler explained. “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.”

While he may be different from Marvel’s literary depictions, it seems like Namor is in good hands. Coogler has proclaimed himself as a long-time fan of the character, so we trust that all these decisions will be justified at the end of the day.

For more superhero fun, here is our guide to Marvel Phase 5.