New fan-art has emerged, depicting how Henry Golding would look as the MCU's Namor in a proposed story for Black Panther 2. Golding received his breakthrough Hollywood role in the critically-acclaimed, smash-hit comedy, Crazy Rich Asians. The actor played Nick Young, one half of the couple at the center of the comedic chaos when he takes his girlfriend Rachel (Constance Wu) home to meet his excessively wealthy family. Two sequels for the film are expected to film back-to-back in 2020. Lately, however, rumors have emerged that he is up for a prominent, villain role in the Black Panther sequel.
Marvel recently announced their slate of upcoming Phase 4 movies. Unfortunately, neither Namor or even Black Panther were included among them. With some Phase 5 films also teased - including Blade - there is no doubt that a follow-up to the Oscar-recognized adventure is on its way. Recent speculation also suggests that Namor will play the main antagonist of the film. The rumors are not without merit. Namor and the realm of Atlantis were first teased in Iron Man 2 and potentially directly referenced in Avengers: Endgame, when Okoye revealed some underwater earthquakes. Many have latched on to the idea of it foreshadowing a coming conflict.
A fan-made poster for it emerged, naming the sequel Black Panther: Two Kings. The digital artist responsible, BossLogic, then opted to take his efforts a step further. Combing both rumors, the artist added a representation of Golding as the King of Atlantis, complete with comic book accurate pointed ears, armor, and weaponry. Golding has already seen the image, offering Namor's signature "Imperius Rex!" catchphrase in response. The full image can be seen below:
Created by writer-artist Bill Everett, Namor debuted in 1939. At the time, he was fast considered one of the top three characters in what's referred to as the Golden Age of Comics, alongside Captain America and the original Human Torch. Over the decades, however, such sea-faring characters became somewhat of a joke - especially regarding their ability to communicate with fish. This was most recently seen in the new Amazon series, The Boys, which saw a character named The Deep often ridiculed by his superhero colleagues. Despite that, Namor has remained relatively popular, provoking many theories as to how he could be introduced to the MCU. DC proved that there is definitely a market for such heroes, with the Jason Momoa-starring Aquaman offering a different take and went on to garner a huge box office return.
As such, it would make sense for Marvel to tap into a realm not yet explored in the MCU. That applies even more so in the wake of Avengers: Endgame, which saw the deaths and departures of various team members. As seen in Spider-Man: Far From Home, the world is clamoring for some new heroes. And with fans wanting to see Namor on the big screen, now would be the perfect time for him to emerge. It also makes sense to introduce him as a supporting character, similar to how T'Challa appeared in Captain America: Civil War before getting a solo outing. Often acting as a villain or an antihero just as much as he is a straightforward hero, and with a slightly different powerset, Namor clashing physically and ideologically with T'Challa would be interesting to watch in Black Panther 2. And based on the above artwork, Golding looks every bit the part.
Source: BossLogic
