Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Director on Namor's Comic-Accurate Look

10/03/2022 07:18 pm EDT

Despite being one of Marvel's oldest characters, Prince Namor has yet to be introduced in live-action. That all changes when Tenoch Huerta picks up the mantle in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever next month. As seen in the sequel's two teasers so far, the version of Namor that will appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe will look incredibly comic-accurate. According to Wakanda Forever helmer Ryan Coogler, that's entirely be design. The filmmaker took to one recent interview to say filmmakers have to "lean into" the source material when developing Marvel pictures.

"I think with making these types of movies, you've got to lean into the weird stuff, or you risk missing what makes it fun," Coogler said in an extensive Entertainment Weekly cover story. "He's got really unique features and things that don't necessarily go together. He can breathe underwater, obviously, but he's got these little wings on his ankles. He's got pointy ears and walks around in his underwear. It's all fun, man."

In a separate interview, Huerta said that he doesn't view Namor as a villain but rather, an anti-hero as several others in the Marvel pantheon.

"Latin-Americans are always the bad guys in Hollywood movies," Tenoch told Empire Magazine. "And now we are the heroes – or an anti-hero, in this instance." He later added that "[Latin-Americans] are making something to be proud of in Hollywood."

In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M'Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba), fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T'Challa's death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda.  It has yet to be seen where the Midnight Angels tie into the story.

Introducing Tenoch Huerta as Namor, king of a hidden undersea nation, the film also stars Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Mabel Cadena and Alex Livanalli. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opens in theaters on November 11.

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