Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was released, and now, weeks later, we’re finally getting some answers about how much of Namor’s backstory Tenoch Huerta added. His introduction to readers in Marvel Comics coincided with that of other marquee characters like Captain America and the Human Torch. Therefore, his presence in the MCU had been anticipated for quite some time. Audiences anticipated a staggering level of detail to be placed into constructing this new world as Namor and his underwater country of Talokan were brought to the screen, helped by the casting of Huerta and other indigenous Mexicans. With high expectations, director Ryan Coogler and Marvel ensured that Talokan would stand out in the highly acclaimed Black Panther sequel.
Now, according to SlashFilm, Talokan’s development was supported by a 200-page Bible written by Marvel detailing every minute aspect of Namor’s undersea dwelling. According to Weta VFX supervisor Chris White, the production bible dug into the nation’s history, military methods, and numerous little but vital aspects that would enrich Talokan’s limited but necessary screen time in the film. Below is the complete excerpt.
Talokan is a massive, massive city, and it has multiple cities that are around it as well. [T]his was my first Marvel project. But as we first got on, there was a production bible of just Talokan, and it was 200 pages full of their history, the tools they built, their architecture, their influence, and how they traveled through Central America.
It’s amazing how extensive that story was that they had created. It may go by in like four minutes or so, but they’ve thought through so much, even as we first joined in. Just like everything, the culture — very extensive.
Where Can We Expect to See Namor Next in the MCU?
After all the effort put into establishing Talokan as a great and vital site for the MCU, fans shouldn’t expect to see Namor or visit Talokan in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever for the last time. Despite his failure, the prince of Talokan promises his peers that he will continue to play the long game with Wakanda to utilize them to gain more control over the surface world. The finale of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever leaves the door wide open for Namor to return, and the performance of Miguel Huerta as Namor has been praised by fans and reviewers alike.
Any comic book reader can confidently predict where Namor should appear next in the MCU. The sea prince is one of the most notable heroes from the first golden age Marvel series, The Fantastic Four, both as an ally and an occasional foe. Moviegoers should expect to see Namor in the 2025 MCU adaptation of the beloved first family of Marvel, especially if Doctor Doom makes an appearance. Even though no major Fantastic Four characters have been cast yet, Huerta’s Namor would serve as a gateway for Marvel Cinematic Universe fans to enjoy Disney’s take on the team.
Namor has a significant canon connection to Captain America and could play an important role in Captain America: New World Order (2024), so he won’t be the only MCU character to make a cameo in a Fantastic Four film. Also, while a third Black Panther film has not been officially greenlit as of this writing, a rematch between Namor and Shuri (played by Letitia Wright) is a virtual certainty for any future adventures based in the fictional African nation of Wakanda. Even if Namor doesn’t show up in Avengers: Secret Wars, he’s still likely to make some other noteworthy cameos in the wider MCU before then. Since Namor has been given so much potential as a recurring character in the wake of his introduction in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, it is almost probable that the 200-page mythology book will have multiple more applications in the future.
