*Some Namor-related spoilers.*
In addition to all the other fantastic things the Black Panther films have going for them, they’re now 2 for 2 with their antagonists. How many Marvel franchises can say that? I knew that Wakanda Forever was going to be sad, but with Tenoch Huerta Mejía coming onto the scene as Namor, I also knew we were in for a good time. The mutant underwater god-king with the winged ankles is every bit as awesome as Killmonger in the first film, but in very different ways.
Namor isn’t actually the first Talokanil we see in the movie. Some of his subjects/warriors make their appearance first, showing off their creepy-as-hell skills in the water as they take out some scientists searching for vibranium deep in the ocean. This scene only gives us a tease of the regal, proud Talokanil ruler, but his official introduction with Ramonda and Shuri smacks us in the face with how cool this character is.
One of the first things we see about Namor is how self-assured he is. He’s got that kingly swagger and the surety of coming from a place that closed itself off to colonizers centuries ago. He knows who he is and what he wants, any of his people would willingly die for him, and when he makes demands of the Wakandans, it’s in a calm, measured voice. And come on! He’s functionally immortal, sits on a throne made from the mouth of a giant shark, and can fly thanks to his awesome, physics-defying ankle wings. The man doesn’t need to rattle sabers to get your attention—everything about him pulls your gaze to him.
He's single-minded about his efforts to protect Talokan and his people, which, to him, means keeping them hidden from the surface world. Long ago, he saw the genocide and erasure that conquistadors wrought against his mother’s homeland, and he’s ruthless in his commitment to ensure that Talokan never experiences that. He thinks little of killing Riri Williams to prevent her vibranium locator from being replicated, or of going to war with Wakanda if he doesn’t get his way. As the leader of the only nation that could reasonably match Wakanda technologically, this makes him dangerous.
But like the best antagonists, Namor isn’t merely “evil.” Despite the trauma that understandably informs his motives, what he’s doing is wrong, but that isn’t all he is. Some of my favorite scenes in Wakanda Forever come after Shuri convinces the Talokanil to abduct her along with Riri. While the Wakandan heiress is certainly held as a hostage, Namor relates to her as one monarch to another, treating her with deference as he tells her the story of Talokan’s origins and shows her the beauty of his nation. Before she knows the full extent of his plan, Shuri in turn respects Namor and is likely charmed by him, and seeing Talokan, she understands why he’s determined to protect it. Huerta Mejía’s performance is magnetic, drawing you in with his charisma and quiet self-assurance. In his hands, Namor is an antagonist that you hope can be persuaded to see the light, not one to be killed.
To be sure, the film takes him down some dark roads, and the blows he lobs at Wakanda are nothing to be trifled with. I completely get why Shuri decides he needs to be taken down. But I’m very glad that, in the end, she chooses mercy, sparing Namor’s life in exchange for securing his vow that Talokan will leave Wakanda alone. He’s smart enough to take this deal, recognizing that Talokan would be better off with Wakanda as an eventual reluctant ally rather than an eternal enemy.
So, by the end of the film, he’s down but not out, back in Talokan and readying for the future. Marvel has an unfortunate habit of killing their best villains too quickly, but Namor is way too cool to be a one-and-done. I’m excited to see what the MCU has in store for him next.
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