Why Talokan Is A Worthy Foe For Wakanda, Black Panther 2 Producer Reveals

Black Panther 2 producer Nate Moore explains why this is the right time to introduce Namor and Talokan as a major threat to Wakanda. While Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will explore grief and legacy after the loss of Chadwick Boseman. It will also be introducing a whole new corner of the MCU with the underwater nation of Talokan. The film will also feature the leader and protector of Talokan, Namor, as a major threat to Wakanda especially after they have lost their own king and protector.

Namor is a rich character with a robust history in Marvel Comics, but Ryan Coogler has adjusted Namor's origins to make him a more compelling foil for Wakanda. While Namor is traditionally from Atlantis his home in the MCU is Talokan, inspired by Indigenous Central and South American mythology. This change in origin seems to have ripple effects not only impacting Namor and Talokan, but how they relate to Wakanda as well.

In Screen Rant's exclusive interview with Moore he explained why Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the perfect entry point for Namor. According to Moore Black Panther: Wakanda Forever takes the time to establish Namor as a complex character while showing how capable he is. Wakanda is one of the most powerful and protected places in the MCU so when the creators were thinking about a character who could truly challenge them Namor was at the top of the list.

"Because there's such an interesting contrast between Talokan and Wakanda, that's [what] I think drew Ryan as a storyteller to Namor in the first place. Obviously, there's a history in publishing of Namor and Atlantis and the Black Panther and Wakanda being at loggerheads because they're both such powerful nations that have such autonomy. But to also tell the story of colonization through the perspective of two people who've experienced it so differently made for a really interesting collision of ideologies.

And Namor's such a powerful character. It's hard to think of anybody who could challenge Wakanda, right? It's the most technologically advanced nation in the world. At times, it has a Black Panther, if not the Dora Milaje. Man, who's going to scare these guys? That is a very short list. And all of a sudden they're faced with somebody who's more powerful than anybody they have, and it forces them to respond in a different way than any other person would, really. Namor is such an important character that you have to commit time to get to know him. So, it's not like you can throw him into an ensemble and say, "Also this guy." You want to take the time to build out that world. Hopefully, we were able to achieve that with the same love and dedication to the details as we did with Wakanda in the first movie."

How Rich Is Namor & Black Panther's Comic Book History?

Black Panther Wakanda Forever Namor Tenoch Huerta

One of the most intriguing things about Moore's description of Namor and Talokan is how they seem to mirror Wakanda and the Black Panther. In Marvel Comics Wakanda and Namor's home, Atlantis, have been in numerous major conflicts culminating in battles between Namor and Black Panther often with devastating results. Basing Namor and Talokan in Mayan culture makes the similarities and differences between Talokan and Wakanda even more stark especially given the histories Moore alludes to.

Moore talks about exploring colonization from the perspective of two civilizations who had vastly different experiences, likely one protected from it while the other may have been conquered. This could mean that while Wakanda was protected Talokan was not which could explain Namor's seemingly aggressive need to protect his people. Coogler has shown his impressive world building abilities in Black Panther which explored the ample history and culture of Wakanda, and it seems he has given the same thought and time into crafting Talokan and Namor in Black Panther 2.

Next: Namor Can Potentially Join 5 MCU Teams After Black Panther 2