Relationship Spotlight: Namor & Shuri (Black Panther)

*Wakanda Forever spoilers.*

Weirdly, I couldn't find any actual pictures from the movie of Shuri and Namor in the same shot. I suppose that will be remedied soon enough once the film hits Disney+ and people start taking screenshots, but for now, I'm using this fanart from @MiaJus.

It’s not often that I do a Relationship Spotlight about a hero and their antagonist—usually, it’s only when they have a pre-established relationship outside of any superhero clash, a la Shang-Chi and Wenwu. But Shuri and Namor really light up the screen together. I don’t know where the MCU is taking Namor next, but I hope his future appearances involve plenty more encounters with the Wakandan princess/scientist.

Shuri meets Namor in the context of a threat. He urges Ramonda and Shuri to bring him Riri Williams, whose vibranium-detecting device puts Talokan in danger of discovery, and promises no mercy for Wakanda if they don’t meet his demands. Everything about him suggests that he can make good on these threats. But after Shuri and Okoye find Riri and the Talokanil are on the brink of taking her by force, Shuri tries to look out for this girl she barely knows, offering herself as a hostage to accompany her.

In the grotto that serves as a Talokanil outpost, Namor shows Shuri a different side to him. He’s now the regal host, charming and open as he tells Shuri the story of his life and the origins of his people. And in turn, she doesn’t come in swinging or plotting to escape. Even though she’s being held under threat, she positions herself more as a royal diplomat, listening to Namor’s story with interest and expressing her desire to see Talokan proper. With the aid of a deep-sea suit, she’s the first person from the surface world to receive an invitation to the underwater kingdom.

And yes, you go, “Wait, are Namor and Shuri kind of vibing?” I’m not usually one to go for heroine/villain ships, regardless of how physically attractive or charismatic the villain might be, but with these two, I’m kind of into it—at least at this point. Namor hasn’t done anything yet that can’t be undone, and Shuri sympathizes with the trauma his ancestors experienced to create Talokan. They almost make you think there’s going to be a peaceful solution to this conflict, that Shuri will make Namor see reason and convince him to let her leave with Riri.

But of course, then, the movie would only be an hour long. Shuri learns that Namor’s ruthless vision goes far beyond killing Riri to keep her invention out of greedy hands. He wants to strike at the colonizers before they can come for Talokan, and in his mind, the colonizers are the entire surface world. He offers to spare Wakanda if they don’t intervene, but he’ll make no further concessions.

Shuri refuses, obviously, and escapes, and that’s when things get really personal. That’s when Namor leads a Talokanil attack on Wakanda, when he kills Ramonda. In the wake of this further devastation, Shuri is consumed with rage, hell bent on avenging her mother’s death. But even in this, as mortal enemies, there’s still this tug between the two characters, and that’s because of how similar the vengeful Shuri is to Namor. During their brutal one-on-one fight, Namor recognizes game, thinking that this Shuri might be one to accept his invitation to burn the world together. And as he sees his rage in her, she starts to see her pain in him. She realizes the path she’s laying for herself and is able to pull back from the brink, leaving Namor alive in exchange for a ceasefire between Wakanda and Talokan.

I mean, it’s just electric! And Namor gets it—even after Shuri brutalizes him within an inch of his life, he goes back to Talokan with the assurance that this is a good turn of events for him. He’s glad that neither of them killed one another, because he foresees a time in which the rest of the surface world will turn on Wakanda and Shuri will come to him for help. He’s envisioning an unstoppably powerful alliance. Which, yes, is definitely in part his arrogance talking, given that he, in sound body and mind, killed her mom, but it’s also reflective of how much remains between Shuri and Namor. Despite everything they do to each other in this film, Namor isn’t ready to be done with Shuri, and as much as I’m sure Shuri will hate to admit it, it’s inevitable that she will one day call on his aid. And I for one can’t wait.

Favorite Characters: Shuri (Black Panther)

Oh man, Shuri is so amazing.  It’s hard to say, because Black Panther is stuffed with greatness, but she might be the favorite of my favorite characters in the movie.  I loved her to pieces in this film, and I’m thrilled to have her join the MCU (Shuri-related spoilers.)

T’Challa’s younger sister has no interest in her brother’s throne.  Instead, she rules her own corner of Wakanda, overseeing the country’s technological development.  She’s a genius who loves to tinker; her motto is “just because something works doesn’t mean it can’t be improved,” and she’s always on the lookout for new ways to innovate.  This includes everything T’Challa needs for his Black Panther missions – from his communication devices to his vibranium suit – Wakanda’s medical technology, and even the transport system used in the vibranium mines.  She forever wants things to be better, more efficient, and just plain cooler.

Shuri has a real exuberance for science and technology, a sense of fun and pioneering spirit shared by fellow MCU geniuses Tony Stark and Peter Parker (Rocket maybe doesn’t have quite the same sense of fun, but he does greatly enjoy demonstrating how much smarter he is than anybody else.)  I love that the Marvel movies now have a teenage girl/young woman who takes so much delight in invention and exploration.  While the MCU has some excellent female characters in it, the only hardcore brainiac we’ve had so far is Jane, and the way she went about it, her attitude toward it, felt a little different than these others characters.  Shuri, however, I could easily see palling around and solving problems with the “Science Bros.”  (That has to happen at some point, right?  Either in Infinity War or Avengers 4?)

In a way, her constant quest for new ways to be better reminds me a little of Holtzmann from the new Ghostbusters, that boundless excitement to invent, create, and show off what she’s made.  Not only is it hugely endearing (and, in the real world, is probably inspiring a number of girls to try their hand at STEM pursuits,) it’s also greatly beneficial to those around her.  In addition to just bettering things in general around Wakanda, Shuri is continually improving T’Challa’s gadgets and coming up with seriously-cool ways of getting the job done.  I can’t wait to see her get her hands on Bucky’s arm, Cap’s shields, or whatever other “functional” bits of Avengers equipment she can play with.

And while Shuri’s biggest contribution to any mission is going to be her tech, she’s also ready and willing to mix it up and get her hands dirty.  She’s (adorably) thrilled to get the chance to help T’Challa out in South Korea, remotely driving his car from her lab.  And seriously, her panther gauntlets are fierce.  This is a young woman who loves her country and will fight to protect it with everything she has.  Even without the armor or training of her brother or one of the Dora Milaje, she’s still a damn genius and a princess, and she’s going to get it done.

Relationship Spotlight: T’Challa & Shuri (Black Panther)

There are several important relationships of note in Black Panther, but I don’t think any are as fun as T’Challa and Shuri.  This brother and sister are fantastically entertaining together, playing their scenes with infectious humor and a comfortable warmth that brightens the screen (some T’Challa-Shuri-related spoilers.)

T’Challa and Shuri may have grown up royalty, and he might’ve just been crowned king of Wakanda.  He may be a superhero and she may be a certified genius running her own lab of crazy-amazing science toys.  But for all that, they’re also very much the quintessential big brother and little sister, and that sibling love/camaraderie shines through in all their scenes together.

I said in my Favorite Characters write-up about T’Challa that, while he gives his responsibilities the gravity they deserve, he also doesn’t take himself too seriously.  Nowhere is that more evident than in Shuri’s merciless teasing of her big brother.  She gives him crap in the middle of his own coronation, urging him to hurry along the formalities and get on with it already, and she takes full advantage of her superior STEM knowledge to have a little fun at his expense during a lab demonstration.  Their affectionate banter is super adorable, and T’Challa often seems at his most relaxed with Shuri.

As her older brother (and, again, as the one with superpowers,) T’Challa tends to be protective of Shuri, but he also recognizes her capabilities and desire to get in on the action.  Her contribution to the South Korea mission, remotely driving T’Challa’s car for him so he can focus on fighting the baddies, feels ideal – it leans heavily on her technical prowess and lets her help in a big way without leaving the safety of her lab.  Of course, Shuri can do a lot more than that, as she demonstrates when she fights alongside Nakia in the climactic battle against Killmonger, but it’s also understandable that, when T’Challa’s running the mission, he’d want to keep her out of the direct fray.  After all, while she’s definitely a fighter, it’s not indicated that her level of training is anywhere near T’Challa’s, Nakia’s, or Okoye’s, and for all her abilities, she is only a teenager, and it’s natural that T’Challa would want to keep her safe.

But if T’Challa wants to take the lead in a fight, he absolutely defers to Shuri’s knowledge when it comes to tech and science.  She’s the one who makes upgrades to his Vibranium suit and designs cool gadgets to help him on his missions, and when T’Challa encounters “broken white boys” in need of Wakanda’s advanced medical technology (like Agent Ross,) Shuri’s the one he trusts to fix them.  He’s fully aware of all she can do and plainly respects her for it.

I’m thrilled that Shuri is going to be joining T’Challa in Infinity War.  I don’t know how much screentime she’ll have or how much she’ll get to interact with non-Black-Panther characters, but I hope to see T’Challa proudly showing off all his little sister can do to his new American acquaintances (come on, there has to be a scene of Tony meeting Shuri, right?)