Wednesday, 2 November 2022

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever cast are as surprised as you are about a possible Namor spin-off

The cast of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever are completely unaware about talk of a possible Namor spin-off project.

Speaking exclusively to TechRadar at the Marvel Phase 4 movie's global junket, Alex Livinalli and Mabel Cadena expressed surprise at online rumors concerning a Namor-led movie or show. 

The pair, who portray Attuma and Namora – Namor's closest confidantes – in Black Panther 2, are certainly open to the prospect of featuring in a possible Talokan-based production. And Livinalli even went as far as to jokingly say TechRadar should call him if we hear anything definitive.

"What, really?!" Livinalli said when TechRadar brought up the Namor spin-off speculation. "They don't tell us anything so, if you know anything, please let us know!"

"Oh wow," Cadena added. "That would be extremely cool. I think we'd both be very open to returning for that."

One of the oldest Marvel characters to be created by the comic book giant, Namor will be the primary antagonist in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The ocean-dwelling mutant, played by Tenoch Huerta in the superhero film, is more of an anti-hero than an outright villain, though he occasionally teams up with classic Marvel supervillains if it'll benefit his nation or keep his people safe. You can read more about him in our in-depth Namor explainer.


Analysis: will Marvel greenlight a Namor spin-off project?

Namor turns to face the camera in the underwater city of Talokan in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Will audiences be returning to Talokan in a future MCU production? (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

That's difficult to say as Marvel keeps these things very close to its chest. However, there are a few reasons to suggest we'll see Marvel sign off on a solo Namor movie or Disney Plus show.

First, let's address those rumors. In January, Bleeding Cool (via Murphy's Multiverse) teased that Wakanda Forever would serve as a jumping-off point for a Namor-led franchise. Okay, that's not much to go on, but Huerta and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige have opened up about the potential for a Namor movie or TV series in the months since such speculation surfaced online.

Speaking to Total Film (per The Direct), Huerta said that "the mythology around Namor is huge. You can be crazy with all this cultural aspect, and you can create a lot of things with Namor". Meanwhile, responding to a Namor cosplayer at Wakanda Forever's world premiere, which you can watch below, Feige said: "We'll see [about a Namor movie]. It depends on this!"

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The prospect of a Namor spin-off project, then, is looking increasingly likely. The anti-hero is one of Marvel's most complicated characters, whose allegiances vary wildly depending on circumstances surrounding himself and the Atlantis-style kingdom of Talokan. As Huerta says, there's so much source material to pull from and, given the complexities, character richness, and thematic resonance surrounding Namor as an individual, he's an ideal candidate for a solo Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) outing.

There are plenty of slots available in Marvel and Disney's forthcoming movie slate where a Namor movie could fit into, too. Per a screenshot shared on Reddit, there are five unclaimed Marvel movie spots in Disney's calendar – between July 2025 and November 2026 – that a Namor film could occupy.

If Marvel opts to create a Namor-led TV series instead, there's room for it to appear on Disney Plus as part of Marvel Phase 5 or Marvel Phase 6. The former is looking pretty stacked already, with the likes of Loki season 2 and Secret Invasion already taking up residence in the MCU's next phase. But it's not as if Marvel hasn't restructured its release schedule before, most recently shunting some MCU movies back due to production issues surrounding its Blade film reboot. So there's always a chance Marvel could move its TV slate around to accommodate a Namor series, especially if the character proves to be as popular as many expect him to be when Wakanda Forever releases worldwide on November 11.

Our guess? A Namor TV show seems the more likely route. A Namor Disney Plus series would allow viewers to explore Talokan in greater detail than a film could, equally allowing supporting characters like Attuma and Namora to have fleshed out character arcs. Show us more about Talokan's MCU history, dig into the minutiae of Namor's complex persona, and tie his project into another Black Panther 2 spin-off – Ironheart's own Disney Plus show or the rumored Midnight Angels TV series – and we'll certainly be down for another underwater adventure.

We'll be covering Black Panther: Wakanda Forever extensively in the build up to launch day and post-release, so check back with TechRadar for our spoiler-free review and other fascinating content soon.

For more MCU-based reading material, find out how to watch the Marvel movies in order. Alternatively, read up on where we placed Black Panther in our MCU movies ranked article.

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