A merchandise leak for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has seemingly offered a first look at the MCU's Namor the Sub-Mariner, played by Tenoch Huerta. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is expanding at a prodigious rate. Even as Marvel prepares for the release of Thor: Love & Thunder, the studio is gearing up to begin promotion for the next movie - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The eagerly-anticipated sequel will explore the fate of Wakanda - and pass on the mantle of the Black Panther.
Marvel is yet to officially confirm any details about Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Still, there have been consistent reports it will feature the MCU debut of Namor the Sub-Mariner and his Atlanteans, some of Marvel's oldest heroes. The King of Atlantis is believed to be played by Tenoch Huerta, and his underwater kingdom will reportedly have been moved to offshore South America. This is presumably to help differentiate Marvel's version of Atlantis from the one seen in DC's Aquaman film.
Leaked merchandise seemingly offers the first look at the MCU's Sub-Mariner. MCU Facility has been sharing a number of leaked images over the last 24 hours, and the latest shows an image of Huerta's Namor. The design is a riff on the Sub-Mariner's traditional swimming trunk look, rather than the more modern interpretations that involve full swimsuits or combat armor. It's adorned with golden decorations, clearly influenced by Mayan designs.
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Marvel's Phase 4 is remarkably comic-book-accurate, particularly in terms of its visual aesthetic. This indicates the increasing confidence shown by Marvel Studios in staying true to the source material, and the design of Namor continues the trend. But the adaptation is particularly interesting given it incorporates the Mayan designs that have been rumored for quite some time, thus apparently confirming the Atlanteans have been reinvented and moved to offshore South America. The MCU's Namor is shown as an imposing figure, a true warrior who has no need for armor.
It's interesting to note that Namor lacks the distinctive blue skin of the Atlanteans. Other merchandise leaks have shown these blue-skinned Atlanteans, with some even wearing breathing apparatus to allow them to contend with air. If this leaked merchandise does indeed show the MCU's Namor, then the design is remarkably comic-book-accurate, suggesting his origin has been lifted straight from the comics as well. There, Namor is a human-Atlantean hybrid, explaining why he doesn't need the breathing apparatus and why he doesn't have blue skin. The interesting question is whether or not Marvel will adapt the whole story, because there Namor's powers originate from the X-gene traditionally associated with the X-Men. Marvel now possesses the film rights to the X-Men, so Namor's appearance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever means he could serve as a backdoor introduction to the entire mutant race.
Source: MCU Facility
