Black Panther: Wakanda Forever actor Tenoch Huerta teases that Namor won’t be portrayed as an actual villain in the character’s MCU debut.
Tenoch Huerta confirms that Namor will be an antihero in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The Ryan Coogler-directed sequel will be the final film in Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only is it set to introduce the new Black Panther after the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman, but it will also further develop the existence of mutants in the MCU after being briefly hinted at during the season finale of Mrs. Marvel.
The next mutant of the MCU is Namor himself, as Huerta himself confirmed that aspect of the character carries over from the comics. How the film will treat him as such and plant the seeds of mutants further into the MCU for their big release remains to be seen. And although it is known that Namor will be an enemy of Wakanda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, it’s still unclear whether the character will be the film’s main antagonist, or someone who has worked vigorously for someone else pulling the strings.
Now Huerta may have an answer for the type of character he plays. In an interview with Empire (through the direct), Huerta explains that Namor is an antihero in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The actor contextualizes that Latin Americans are always portrayed as the villains in American movies, before saying he’s happy to see Namor won’t be, but an antihero. Watch what he says below:
Latin Americans are always the bad guys in Hollywood movies. And now we are the heroes – or an anti-hero, in this case… we [Latin-Americans] make something to be proud of in Hollywood.
Could Black Panther 2’s Namor Be The Next Killmonger?
As mentioned above, Huerta believes that Namor is an antihero. This ties in with previous Black Panther antagonist Killmonger, who is no pure “bad guyneither. Coogler’s film portrayed him as something of an anti-hero by showing his perspective and motivations before fighting T’Challa in the film’s final act. And even when he was eventually killed, the character redeemed himself in his last. few moments when he died watching the sunset in Wakandan.
And given Huerta’s quote, it looks like Namor could very well be the next Killmonger. He may not be the main opponent, but could very well be Wakanda’s biggest threat for this episode. The greater villain can be revealed during one of the film’s post-credit scenes. How much of an anti-hero Namor is will become clear when Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will hit theaters on November 11.
Source: Empire (via the direct)
