Black Panther 2’s Namor Wants to Meet MCU Characters Who Are Already Dead
Tenoch Huerta, who plays T’Challa in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, says there are two Marvel Cinematic Universe characters he would love to see Namor meet, but sadly, they’re both already dead.
King T’Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) was killed prematurely, and now Wakanda is struggling to carry out its new outreach goal without him.
With a new enemy on the horizon, however, the people of Wakanda must band together to battle the armies of Talocan, an ancient undersea city ruled by Namor the Sub-Mariner (Huerta).
Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), Okoye (Danai Gurira), and Queen Ramonda (Phylicia Rashad) all return from the billion-dollar prequel to the MCU’s Phase 4 finale film (Angela Bassett).
The film does, however, introduce a number of new characters to the MCU, including Riri Williams (Dominque Thorne), a teenage genius inventor who develops an armored suit to become the hero Ironheart, and Namor, a mutant who lives under the sea and whose only desire is to protect his people.
The character’s pointy ears and winged ankles (which allow him to fly) are also direct references to Marvel Comics. Huerta recently talked to Jake’s Takes on the red carpet, where he revealed the two Marvel Cinematic Universe characters he would most like to see Namor meet outside of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
The actor mentioned both Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark/Iron Man and Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson). Both of those characters, however, have died in the most recent two Avengers movies. Here’s what Huerta had to say about it:
“I mean, it would be great to meet Iron Man, you know? Black Widow, I think would be great. I admire both of them. And, yeah, those characters were so good.”
Could Namor, Iron Man, and Black Widow Meet in the Marvel Multiverse?
It’s unlikely that Iron Man and Black Widow will ever cross paths again in the MCU, what with both of them being dead and Namor only recently being introduced. However, the structure of the multiverse allows for the resurrection of dead characters.
Also Read: ‘Terminator 2’ Inspired ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’, Says Ryan Coogler
Thanos killed Gamora (Zoe Saldana) in Avengers: Infinity War to obtain the Soul Stone. In the sequel, a resurrected Gamora returns to aid the heroes in defeating her adopted father.
The Marvel Cinematic Reality (MCU) has just begun its Multiverse saga, so there should be plenty of possibilities for Namor to cross paths with Stark and Romanoff in the shared universe during Phases 5 and 6.
It’s easier said than done, though, to bring these people back to life in a meaningful way. Having Iron Man and Black Widow show up again shouldn’t feel like a cameo if the story doesn’t have a reason to justify its presence.
To avoid being seen as pandering to fans, Marvel’s What if…? uses the characters together in an animated multiverse series. Recasting their voices with fresh actors is a possible option in this medium, allowing the company to get around problems with Downey and Johansson’s contractual return.
Audiences still have a little to wait for Namor’s entry to the MCU, with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever not arriving in theatres for another week.
