Wakanda Forever Namor Concept Art Shows Early Designs Of The Character

Concept art images share a glimpse at the original design for Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Namor is an iconic character from the original Marvel comics who made his first live-action appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the Black Panther sequel. The leader of the undersea territory of Talokan, Namor (played by Tenoch Huerta) harbors resentment for surface-dwellers and seeks the aid of the vibranium-rich country of Wakanda to prevent his home from being colonized, eventually inciting a war with them when they refuse to embrace his more aggressive tactics.

On his official Instagram account, former Marvel Studios visual development artist Anthony Francisco shared a look at several of the original designs for Namor. The artist, who also designed Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2's Baby Groot, Black Panther's Okoye, and Loki's title character, shared that his "warrior look" for Namor was the one eventually chosen for the movie, including the large traditional necklace sported by the character. The various designs show Namor swimming through the ocean (both with and without blue face paint) and flying over the surface of the water while leading his marine army. Check out his post below:

Why Namor Was The Breakout Character From Wakanda Forever

Tenoch Huerta as Namor in Black Panther Wakanda Forever looking to the right

Namor was a huge standout from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever with fans across the globe, which can be attributed to one of many reasons. First, he is one of the most prominent of the new Latinx characters who have joined the MCU this year, which include Oscar Isaac's Moon Knight, Xochitl Gomez's America Chavez from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Gael García Bernal's Jack Russell from Disney+'s special Werewolf by Night. The fact that Namor is explicitly Mexican and indigenous is something that has delighted fans who have been seeking representation within the franchise.

There is also the matter that Namor is one of the widest-known characters from the comics who has yet to appear in the franchise, delighting many fans of the source material. In addition, the specific details of his appearance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ties in with several upcoming properties, including 2025's Marvel's Fantastic Four, which brings to life the team that Namor is most frequently associated with on the page. The fact that he is explicitly a mutant also ties in with the upcoming inclusion of more X-Men characters now that Disney owns the 20th Century library, especially the return of Wolverine in the upcoming Deadpool 3.

However, one of the major reasons that Namor has proven so popular can be attributed directly to the storyline of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever itself. Namor is a villain so complicated that it hardly feels appropriate to describe him as a villain at all, and the fact that his motives are so sympathetic has allowed audiences to bond with him on a level more than a typical Marvel antagonist. This is an approach that director Ryan Coogler also used with Michael B. Jordan's Killmonger in the original Black Panther, proving his commitment to forging some of the most unique villains in the franchise.

More: Marvel's Namor Rights Issue Cements His MCU Future

Source: Anthony Francisco/Instagram