What can Marvel Studios possibly do with Namor the Sub-Mariner in a post-Aquaman world? Despite different publication history, both characters deal with similar ideas and exist in the backdrop of the legends of Atlantis; undersea monarchies, vast submarine empires who have an antagonistic relationship with the surface world due to pollution. Even the characters' powersets are almost identical.

The Sub-Mariner was created back in 1939 and Aquaman in 1941, but DC is striking first with a big-screen adaptation of their own undersea hero. The similarities between the two concepts leave Marvel faced with a very thorny problem; should the studio ever choose to develop Namor for the big screen, they'll need to find a way to make sure he doesn't simply look like a retread of Aquaman. There have already been comparisons between Aquaman's trailers and Marvel's Black Panther - a superhero king who is monarch of a hidden, advanced nation challenged by a sibling - but that's small-fry next to a comparable under-the-sea adventure.

Related: Aquaman Trailer Breakdown: 25 Secrets You Missed

So how should Marvel Studios adapt Namor for the MCU? What approach can they take that clearly differentiates the character and his world from the one explored in Aquaman? We have some ideas.

The Similarities and Differences Between Namor and Aquaman

Atlantis was briefly mentioned by Platoin his dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written around 360 BC; Plato claimed to have translated them from Egyptian sources, but modern scholars aren't convinced that was truly the case. According to Plato, somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean there was "an island which was larger than Libya and Asia together," a warlike and imperial nation that was "insolently advancing to attack the whole of Europe, and Asia to boot." The nation of Atlantis was ruled by what Plato called "a confederation of kings, of great and marvelous power." This great island was dedicated, appropriately enough, to the water god Poseidon; as a result, it was singularly ironic that Plato described the nation as sinking beneath the waves, destroyed after a massive earthquake. Plato's dialogues have become the foundation for countless legends and fantasy series - including both Namor and Aquaman.

DC's version of Atlantis is very much true to Plato. In DC Comics, Atlantean society predates human civilization, with a race of aliens settling on the continent of Atlantis 65,000,000 years ago. An asteroid impact caused the entire continent to sink beneath the waves, but Atlantean scientists were able to artificially mutate the survivors in order to ensure they could survive underwater. The people of Atlantis then claimed the seas as their home, establishing their dominance over the aquatic life-forms and tribes already living in them.

Marvel's vision is fairly similar, with the nation of Atlantis flourishing 10,000 years ago and sinking beneath the waves in a volcanic cataclysm. The god of the oceans, Neptune, blessed the Atlanteans with gills with which to breathe underwater, and Atlantean tribes settled throughout the seas. In both comic franchises, the undersea tribes are ruled over by the King of Atlantis, although separate tribes have their own monarchs.

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Amusingly, both Namor and Aquaman are half-human hybrids whose very existence bridges the gulf between humanity and the people of Atlantis. Namor's mother was a princess sent on a scouting expedition to the surface world who slept with a human sea captain before being forcibly "liberated" by Atlantean warriors; Aquaman's mother was an Atlantean queen who was washed up on the rocks next to a lighthouse after a storm, and fell in love with the lighthouse-keeper. The big difference in origin is that while Aquaman was brought up on the surface, Namor spent his formative years beneath the waves. Past that, though, even the two characters' powersets are pretty similar, although Namor's equivalent of "talking to fish" has typically meant he summoned legendary sea-monsters rather than sharks and shoals.

But there is one key difference between Namor and Aquaman. When Aquaman was introduced, in 1943's More Fun Comics #73, writer Mort Weisinger immediately embedded the character in Atlantean mythology. In contrast, Namor's backstory emerged over time. It wasn't until 1962 - a full 23 years after his creation - that Namor's people were identified as Atlanteans, binding the character into that rich tapestry of legends and pseudo-history. For Marvel, that may be the key to differentiating their hero.

What Exactly are Marvel's Plans for Namor?

Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark in Iron Man 2

The current barrier for Namor is that the film rights to the character are rather complicated. Up until the mid-2000s, Marvel Studios didn't produce their own films; rather, they sold the rights to other studio, and profited from the contracts. The rights to Namor were sold to Universal, and while production rights appear to have reverted to Marvel due to inactivity, the distribution rights are still believed to sit with Universal. This is similar to the rights situation with Hulk, who appears in team-up movies but not solo movies. Similarly, Kevin Feige has said he believes there's "a way to probably figure it out," but even he's admitted that the film rights to Namor are "not as a clean or clear as the majority of the other characters." As a result, Marvel don't appear to have any solid plans for the Sub-Mariner in the near-future.

Read More: Characters Marvel Still Doesn't Have The Movie Rights To

That hasn't stopped Marvel planting Easter egg clues, though. In Iron Man 2, there's a brief glimpse of a S.H.I.E.L.D. activity map. It shows hotspots that are being monitored by S.H.I.E.L.D., including the fictional African nation of Wakanda. Another marker is in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, right where Pliny's accounts would suggest the capital of Atlantis would be situated. So far, though, nothing has come from this particular Easter egg.

Page 2 of 2: How Could Namor Work in the MCU?

How Could Namor Work in the MCU?

Jason Momoa's Aquaman was teased in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice before a proper introduction in Justice League, but his origin story is being told in Aquaman. That film will see Arthur Curry forced to visit Atlantis for the first time, an unwilling king who must claim the throne lest war ensues between his people and the surface world. That's in keeping with the hero's comic book introduction, with Atlantis serving as a core part of his concept from the very first issue. But, assuming Marvel ever get the rights problems for Namor resolved, they should take a very different approach. Marvel should honor the original comics - including the 23-year period before which Namor was even revealed to be an Atlantean.

Early Namor comics saw him team up with Captain America and the first Human Torch, participating in the Second World War. It was an entirely appropriate choice; World War II was fought in the sea as much as in the air, with U-boats attempting to destroy food and cargo vessels, and battleships waging war in the oceans. Marvel Studios could use the same idea, embedding Namor in the MCU's history by releasing a film set during the War. They could even try to get Chris Evans to return for a previously-unseen World War II adventure of Captain America. Atlantis could remain in the background, hinted at but never seen. There's precedent for this approach; Ant-Man & the Wasp wove Ghost into the history of S.H.I.E.L.D., while Captain Marvel will reveal a never-before-hinted-at adventure of Nick Fury as he allies with Brie Larson's Carol Danvers.

Namor's original comic book run ended in 1955, and he didn't return until 1962. In Fantastic Four #4, Johnny Storm discovered the Sub-Mariner living on the streets of Manhattan, an amnesiac who had no memory of his powers or origin. When Namor regained his memory, he discovered that Atlantis was gone, deserted, apparently destroyed. Swearing vengeance on humanity, Namor launched a wave of attacks upon the surface world, becoming more an enemy than an ally. Again, Marvel could rather easily take this approach, continuing Namor's story in the present day without much adaptation problem. Where has he been since the Second World War? Living on the streets, lost and confused, not knowing who he truly is. The restoration of Namor's memories could easily be a secondary plot in another character's film, with the Sub-Mariner even serving as a villain. Again, this is a very different approach to DC's Aquaman. Rather than become a bridge between humanity and Atlantis, Namor would seek to honor and even avenge his lost city.

Related: A Complete History Of The Marvel Cinematic Universe

Either of these ideas would be a strong way to set up the character before having Namor address the lost Atlantis and attempt to reclaim the throne. From there, it needn't match Aquaman either; instead of a nation of glory and splendor as imagined by James Wan, the MCU Atltantis would fit better as a broken kingdom, one that has been under the rule of a villain - perhaps the classic Namor foe Attuma - for decades. Portray Namor as a Moses figure, attempting to free his people from slavery in order to build a new Atlantis, seeking to restore his kingdom's fortunes.

There are two major advantages to this approach. The first is that it is comic-book-accurate, immediately winning over fans. It also casts Namor as an ambiguous character, sometimes an ally, sometimes an enemy, always sympathetic. Where Aquaman's loyalties are divided, the Sub-Mariner's would be entirely with the people he considers to be his own. It is loyalty to Atlantis that forces Namor to intervene as human wars disturb the sea; it is loyalty to Atlantis that drives him to seek vengeance on the surface world; it is loyalty to Atlantis that leads him to demand that his people should be freed from bondage.

DC may have beaten Marvel to the punch when it comes to Aquaman, but there's no reason Marvel Studios has to release a film that feels like a rinse-and-repeat. Rather, a careful focus on the differences between Namor and Aquaman - not their similarities - should allow Marvel to tell a unique story. Now, they just have to work out those problems with the film rights.

More: Aquaman: Every Update You Need To Know

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