Namor the Sub-Mariner makes his long-overdue debut in the MCU as the primary antagonist of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but will we see him again? It’s a well-known fact at this point that the majority of MCU antagonists are one and done, but Namor has a long and layered history in Marvel comics dating back to 1939 and is a major player in event storylines. That history and status have led many to believe that the anti-hero could join Thanos and Loki as one of the MCU’s stand-out villains. Here’s everything we know about whether Namor will be in future MCU installments.
Will Namor Return to the MCU?
Namor will most definitely return in future MCU installments, we can’t say where exactly, but there are a few possibilities. At the conclusion of Wakanda Forever, the antagonist is defeated by Shuri and accepts her offer of a peaceful alliance between Wakanda and Talocan.
Marvel is currently developing two Black Panther Disney+ spin-off shows; one will focus on Okoye, while the other will focus on the politics and inner workings of Wakanda. Given that the two nations now have close ties, it’s possible that Namor could make a small cameo appearance in the Wakanda spin-off.
It’s also been confirmed that Namor is a mutant in the MCU. There’s still no indication of when the X-Men will make their official MCU debut, but the presence of Mutants has been teased extensively in recent installments. Marvel is slowly but surely introducing more mutants to the franchise, and it’s likely that Namor will have a major role to play going forward.
The most likely possibility, though is that Namor will cross paths with Marvel’s first family in the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot in 2025.
Namor’s History With Fantastic Four
Namor’s comic book counterpart has an intense rivalry with Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four dating back all the way to 1962 due to his romantic feelings for his wife, Sue Storm.
The Fantastic Four first encountered Namor after he launched an attack on the surface world. During their conflict, Namor developed feelings for Sue and blackmailed her into becoming his bride. While Namor’s feelings weren’t reciprocated, Sue did develop some affection for the Sub-Mariner.
Namor’s infatuation with Sue Storm has been an ongoing source of tension between himself and Reed. The story has been adapted previously in the nineties Fantastic Four animated series; whether the MCU takes their interpretation of Namor in a similar direction remains to be seen.
While there are no details on Tenoch Huerta’s contract or if he’s signed up for more appearances, the actor confirmed with Total Film (via The Direct) his desire to reprise the role, saying:
I mean, the mythology around Namor is huge. You can be crazy with all this cultural aspect, and you can create a lot of things with Namor, because they take a fantastic source of stories and mythology and religion and everything. So I hope they decide to keep going with the character, past its own story or whatever.”
Tenoch Huerta via Total Film
That’s everything we know about whether Namor will appear in future MCU installments. Be sure to check out Twinfinite for our extensive guides to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
