Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Confirms Namor Casting [Comic-Con]
After floating around at Universal for years without anything to show for it, Marvel recaptured the rights to the character of Namor back in 2016. Ever since then, superhero fans have been speculating how and when the MCU would use the character. That's six years of speculation, with things kicking into high gear back in May after the premiere of "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." Reason being, The Illuminati (as in the Marvel group, not the conspiracy theory) made their MCU debut in "Multiverse of Madness" — but noticeably absent was Namor the Sub-Mariner. Screenwriter Michael Waldron confessed that Namor was intended to be a part of it, but that "Marvel has other plans for him in the MCU." Well, we now know what those plans are, because at Marvel's giant Comic-Con panel, the studio unveiled a killer new trailer for "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," which included confirmation that Namor would be appearing in the highly anticipated follow-up. Not only was the character confirmed to appear, but the actor portraying the character has been named, and it's Mexican actor Tenoch Huerta.
If the name Tenoch Huerta doesn't ring a bell, this is your sign to do a deep dive into his filmography, and fast. Huerta is a remarkably talented performer, having appeared on "Narcos: Mexico," played the titular role in the Spanish-language series "Blue Demon," popped up "The Forever Purge," and appearing in the absolutely phenomenal "Tigers Are Not Afraid." Honestly, this is some legitimately perfect and inspired casting. Whoever put Huerta on Marvel's radar deserves a raise, and probably an edible arrangement of some sort.
Playing Namor is 'an honor'
Toward the end of the Marvel panel, director Ryan Coogler brought Tenoch Huerta up on stage to introduce him to the audience. Huerta expressed his happiness at being able to take part in the MCU and called the experience "an honor." He took his time on stage to talk a lot about inclusion, commenting that he's from "the hood" but thanks to the inclusion of the MCU, he's now "here." He views the moment as an inspiration for all of the kids who grew up looking and living like himself, saying "a lot of kids are there in their hood, dreaming of being here, and they can make it!" Henoch also expressed his gratitude by delivering a message to his community and thanking everyone in Spanish.
For the uninitiated, Namor the Sub-Mariner first appeared in Marvel Comics all the way back in 1939, back when Marvel was still "Timely Comics." The character was one of the top three alongside Captain America and the original Human Torch. Considered to be the first Marvel anti-hero, Namor is the son of a human sea captain and the princess of Atlantis, which means he doesn't just have super powers, he has super MERMAN powers.
"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" hits theaters on November 11, 2022.