The panel for Marvel Studios kicked off with a bang last night during its Hall H presentation at San Diego Comic-Con. And they certainly brought their Avengers A-Game as it was packed full of announcements regarding their upcoming projects with new release dates, trailers, and exclusive sneak peeks for those attending. Here at Coastal House Media were up all night with anticipation so continue reading on as we delve into the Studio/Comic giant’s future plans.

Marvel Studios ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ capped the Hall H presentation with thunderous roars and applause. The first film quickly became one of Marvel’s most successful films to date and truly became an impact on culture and society. With Wakanda Forever’s release on November 11th, 2022 we are introduced to new important characters that ultimately set the stage for one of the most emotional chapters in MCU history. With many of the original cast reprising their roles we witness a vulnerable nation grieving as in the wake of king T’Challa’s death the Wakandans fight to protect their nation from intervening powers as we are introduced to Atlantis, the undersea nation and its king Namor the Sub-Mariner. 

Namor is an important character to be heading into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he was first introduced into Marvel comics since 1939 and has consistently made a splash across the pages often being labelled as the first mutant. Over the decades in the comics, his full name was revealed to be Namor McKenzie, he’s the son of a human father named Leonard McKenzie and Atlantean Princess Fen. Capable of living on both land and sea, Namor’s heritage led him to acquire physical strength and durability, he can also speak to and control the ocean, and heal himself when he’s in water. Throughout his run, in the comics, Namor has teamed up and made allegiances with the Fantastic Four and even had a fling for Sue Storm. At one point he even joined the Avengers and helped found the superhero team called the Defenders. In the Aftermath of the Kree/Skrull war, Namor also became a co-founder of the Illuminati, a group dedicated to protecting the world from major threats by any means necessary. 

In recent comics, during Avengers Vs. X-Men Namor uses his powers and attacks Wakanda, absolutely devastating the African nation, this ignited a massive conflict between Wakanda and Atlantis. Both are technologically advanced countries and are defined by their secretiveness and fierce independence. Those similarities have led to serval clashes, and the tension between the two nations has much been explored through their leaders. 

With Namor’s inclusion in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever it will be fascinating to see what aspects they take from the comic counterpart and where it leads in the future. Namor will be played by Tenoch Huerta as the trailer offers us some unique and fascinating glimpses of the character. Through flashback sequences, we see what appears to be Namor being born underwater with his comic-accurate ankle wings which we then see later on as he grows older. The MCU’s take on Atlantis is a fantastic choice one that echos Mayan civilisation and Aztec culture and iconography. We see Namor in a ceremonial headdress and the world-building looks phenomenal as it’s rooted in history. I’m loving his Aztec-inspired variation of his comic-accurate green trunks. 

Huerta expressed his happiness at being able to take part in the MCU and called the experience “an honor.” He talks about inclusion, commenting that he’s from “the hood” but thanks to the inclusion of the MCU, he’s now “here.” He views the moment as an inspiration for all of the kids who grew up looking and living like himself, saying “a lot of kids are there in their hood, dreaming of being here, and they can make it!” Henoch also expressed his gratitude by delivering a message to his community and thanking everyone in Spanish.

Another aspect similar to the comics is that the Atlanteans have blue-coloured skin. Also making their live-action debuts are Namorita and Attuma. Namorita played by Mabel Cadena is the daughter of an Atlantean man and surface woman in the comics. In the comics, she has the ability to swim at superhuman speed and is immune to the cold and pressures of the depth. I’m loving the MCU depiction with her headdress and tribal wear as seen below. Attuma played by Alex Livinalli is the leader of a group of barbarian Atlanteans. He is superhumanly strong and is capable of lifting 60 tons even underwater. Attuma is a beast with his tribal wear and weapon axe.  

Namor and the Atlanteans are so important and integral to other storylines that seeing them in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is only the beginning. After all the impending battle between the two nations is upon us. The full trailer featuring footage of Namor and the Atlanteans can be seen below. The cinematography and Coogler’s work here is among the most impressive there’s beaches and phenomenal underwater sequences that are truly otherworldly.