One of the most fascinating aspects of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and its central villain, the sea-dwelling antiheroic King Namor, played by Tenoch Huerta, is how Talocan bears little resemblance to the Atlantis of Marvel’s comic books.
Namor’s short shorts, winged feet, and fierce hatred of the surface dwellers are still essential aspects of his persona, which Wakanda Forever highlights with a story of how he was driven to lead Talocan to war against Wakanda.
Director Ryan Coogler changed Namor’s origin and made him Latin-American
Unlike Marvel’s Namor, who governs over a relatively typical version of Atlantis (an advanced society submerged by a great tragedy), Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s Namor is from Talocan, an undersea country inspired by Aztec mythology’s Tlālōcān. Talocan, like Wakanda, is a fictitious location intended to reflect a variety of cultural influences, and Huerta sees it as a notion ideal for helping people better grasp the Indigenous and African contributions to Latin American history, particularly Mexico’s.
During a recent press tour for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Tenoch Huerta stated that while “almost everybody in Mexico has Indigenous or African roots,” people often want to suppress certain elements of their background, something the 41-year-old actor believes needs more attention.
Wakanda Forever‘s tale, in addition to drawing inspiration from a range of Mesoamerican cultures, builds its own intriguing mythology that connects Talocan and Wakanda’s history. While those notions have a particular narrative function within the setting of the film, Huerta hopes that audiences grasp and absorb them as testaments to a cultural richness worthy of respect and acknowledgment.
The Latin-American audiences loved Namor and are now demanding his solo film
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has finally hit theatres, and it appears to be a smash hit. The sequel, helmed by Ryan Coogler, has been in the works for a long time and has received nearly unanimous acclaim in its initial reactions. The film’s “beautifully cathartic” tale and “masterful” music are praised by critics.
Tenoch Huerta’s MCU debut as Namor the Submariner, however, has been mentioned in practically every review, especially by all the Latin-American MCU fans. The long-running comic character makes his cinematic debut in the Black Panther sequel, allowing for new storylines to be told in the MCU’s aquatic universe.
Latin-American MCU fans wasted no time in demanding a Namor solo feature after watching Wakanda Forever. They took to Twitter to shower their support on the Narcos: Mexico actor and his performance stating, “He definitely needs his own solo movie.”
The origin of how #Namor got his name in #WakandaForever was of one the most badass mic drop moments of the film. As a native Spanish speaker I was clapping👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/8oGkJbR2xg
— Cris Parker (@3CFilmss) November 11, 2022
Namor definitely needs his own project
— SpanishBurnley (@SpanishBurnley) November 11, 2022
As a Latino I teared up at telochan
Shit was beautiful— Alex (@Alex86287993) November 11, 2022
Facts such a beautiful representation of both brown & black ancestry, shared struggles & pain… common enemy and why we need to realize more than ever we’re fighting the same fight
— G Baby (@Whatunobougator) November 12, 2022
Native Mesoamerican inspired super hero, Yucatec Maya language being spoken, pretty accurate imagery representing Kukulkan/Quetzalcoatl 🪶🐍 and Talokan being inspired by Tlālōcān💧. All of it was visually stunning *chefs kiss* I just didn’t agree with #Namor being a villain 😂
— xicanikkei 🇵🇸 (@xicanikkei) November 12, 2022
Namor definitely need his own Film. I was getting excited everytime he shows up… Tenoch Huerta nails it 👏
— Namor Culture (@NamorCulture) November 11, 2022
They better give him a spin-off. Tenoch Huerta was a beast in this movie.
— UCLA Geek (@UCLA_Geek) November 12, 2022
In an interview on the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever red carpet, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige discussed the possibility of a Namor solo film following his role in the Wakandan sequel. When asked if fans should expect a solo feature for Tenoch Huerta’s hero after Wakanda Forever, Fiege simply answered, “We’ll see, depending on this,” alluding to the film’s response.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is currently running in theatres.
Source: Twitter
