Marvel Studios has some of the biggest actors from Hollywood under its banner. And the Mexican star Tenoch Huerta joined the studio recently with the Black Panther sequel. He portrayed the Sub-Mariner and the king of Talocan, Namor, in Wakanda Forever. However, reports have revealed that Huerta was not Marvel’s first choice for the role. Marvel Studios reportedly was looking ahead to cast a WWE star in the character. It is unclear what happened behind the scenes but the fact that a WWE star would have played Namor in the MCU is quite interesting for fans.
This would not be the first time a WWE star would have joined Hollywood. Fans love Dave Batista as Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy. Not just Marvel, DC Studios also has its fair share of former WWE stars. John Cena plays Peacemaker and The Rock has also recently debuted as Black Adam in the DCU.
Marvel Reportedly Approached WWE Star Damian Priest to Play Namor
According to the report from Fightful Select, Marvel Studios approached the former United States Champion Damian Priest for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Damian Priest was reportedly asked to read for two roles, including Namor and the other for an unknown member of the underwater civilization.
However, it is still not clear if Damian Priest auditioned for either of the roles. But he did not make it to the film, as he was nowhere to be seen in Wakanda Forever. The role eventually went to Tenoch Huerta, who played the character really well and fans are loving him as Namor.
Luis Martinez known as Damian Priest in the ring is a member of the wrestling stable, The Judgment Day. He started his wrestling career in 2004 and has no acting credits so far. After succeeding in Ring of Honor as Punishment Martinez, he signed a deal with WWE in 2018. The wrestler is currently getting ready for upcoming WWE events.
Damian Priest may have missed the opportunity for now. But the WWE star reportedly could get the opportunity in the future to appear as one of the prominent members of Talocan, or even a confidant of Namor in the MCU.
Actors Who Could Have Portrayed Namor
With Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the king of the underwater kingdom, Namor has officially joined the MCU. However, there were rumors about some other actors being considered for the role.
The former professional wrestler Dwayne Johnson was initially rumored to be cast as Kukulkán. The Red Notice star, however, was not in rumor to be in Wakanda Forever, but in a stand-alone for the character, which was planned by Universal.
However, he was already set to appear as Black Adam in the DCU. The film and the character have been a priority for the Jumanji star, so it would have been obvious for him to choose Black Adam over Namor. Black Adam was released weeks before Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Another actor who wanted to portray the character was Brian Tee. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows star said he liked the anti-hero angle of the character.
In an interview with Comic Book, the actor said, “Even though he’s a hero or a quote-unquote good guy. He’s kind of a bit of an anti-hero with a bit of an edge.” He also shared that he feels like he “kind of falls in that line” comparing his previous roles with the character.
“So that’s the kind of aspect that I would love to bring into Namor,” Brian Tee said. The role eventually went to Narcos: Mexico star, who made his MCU debut with Wakanda Forever. The character is surely expected to appear in future projects under the MCU.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is playing in theaters now.
Source: Fightful Select
