The upcoming Marvel movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, because although it will be the first time this corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been highlighted in four years, it will be without lead protagonist T’Challa given that Chadwick Boseman passed away in 2020. So even by Marvel production standards, there’s a lot of mystery surrounding Wakanda Forever, including who will inherit the Black Panther mantle. Thankfully, this cinematic picture has become a little clearer thanks to the trailer that premiered at San Diego Comic-Con, and that includes official confirmation that Namor the Sub-Mariner is coming to the MCU.
For a long time it’s been rumored that Namor the Sub-Mariner, who’s existed in the comics for over 80 years, would appear in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, with Narcos: Mexico’s Tenoch Huerta playing him. Well, that was finally confirmed today during Wakanda Forever’s portion of the Marvel Studios panel at Comic-Con. As a nice bonus, we also get quick snippets of the fan-favorite character during the powerful Wakanda Forever trailer, including an up-close look at Huerta’s Namor below:
With “No Woman, No Cry” playing through the entirety of the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer, the preview didn’t delve into specific story details. As far as Namor the Sub-Mariner goes, there were various shots of the character throughout his life, and in the present day, he’s now leading the forces of Atlantis. Wakanda Forever looks like it’s going to deliver one hell of a Wakanda vs. Atlantis conflict, to the point that the trailer ends with the new Black Panther facing off against Namor. Speaking of which, although it’s not explicitly laid out who’s become the new Black Panther, it is hinted that like her comic book counterpart, Letitia Wright’s Shuri will take up the mantle.
But Namor and Atlantis was just one aspect of the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer, as we also reunite with other familiar characters, including Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia, Danai Gurira’s Okoye, Winson Duke’s M’Baku, Angela Bassett’s Ramonda, Martin Freeman’s Everett K. Ross and Florence Kasumba’s Ayo. Ramonda has a particularly gut-punching moment when she exclaims the following:
I am queen of the most powerful nation in the world, and my entire family is gone! Have I not given everything?
It’s still unclear what’s happened to T’Challa following the events of Avengers: Endgame, although a statement like that, plus a moment where we see a mural of him to the side of two drummers, indicate that he’s no longer with us. Ramona’s husband, T’Chaka, has also been long gone, but Shuri is still alive, so is there a divide between mother and daughter? We’ll just have to wait and see, although I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention that along with Tenoch Huerta’s Namor the Sub-Mariner, we briefly see two other new characters in the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer. Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams, who will return to lead Disney+’s Ironheart series, can be seen greeting Shuri, and Michaela Coel’s unnamed character, who appears to be a member of the Dora Milaje (albeit wearing blue and gold armor rather than red and silver) also shows up.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever slashes its way into theaters on November 11. Keep visiting CinemaBlend for more news about the sequel, and be sure to read our articles detailing other big announcements that have come out of Comic-Con, including Marvel’s official Phase 5 lineup and some details on Phase 6, including more Avengers movies.
