Namor actor Tenoch Huerta talked about the changes made to the classic Marvel character in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Namor’s film rights remain complicated since Universal holds the distribution rights like they do with Hulk. However, that isn’t stopping Sub-Mariner from finally making his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever as the film’s primary antagonist.
How is the MCU’s Namor different from the comics?
Unlike his comic book counterpart, the MCU’s Namor is the ruler of Talocan, not Atlantis. The change gives Namor a backstory tied to Mayan culture, with Tenoch Huerta in the role. While Ryan Coogler took the character in a new direction, Namor still dons his classic green trunks and pointy ears. Huerta recently discussed the changes to Namor and the importance of it during the press conference of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
“It was a fantastic move, and I think now is the perfect moment to speak about it. In Latin America, especially Mexico, we deny our indigenous roots. It’s just like a token sometimes. In general terms, we deny it because it’s not about genes for us because almost everybody in Mexico has indigenous or African roots. I hope this helped people embrace who they are. They taught us to be ashamed of who we are, but it’s time to cut it off and say, yeah, this is who I am and there was never anything wrong with me. The mistake was in the eyes who were looking at us, who were judging us.”
On a lighter note, the Namor actor later admitted that he didn’t know how to swim before filming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Despite having to learn how to swim for Wakanda Forever, Tenoch Huerta was eventually able to accomplish an impressive feat underwater following his training for the film:
“Yeah, well I didn’t know how to swim before [laugh] this movie. But now I can hold my breath for five minutes.”
Disney’s official synopsis for the film reads as follows: “In Marvel Studios’ ‘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.”
Directed by Ryan Coogler from a script he co-wrote with Joe Robert Cole, Wakanda Forever stars Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Florence Kasumba, Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Tenoch Huerta, Martin Freeman, and Angela Bassett.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now playing in theaters. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the MCU, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content.
