Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is finally out in the world and with it comes a few big turning points for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While much of the film is devoted to honouring the legacy of Chadwick Boseman’s character T’Challa, Black Panther 2 does have a larger part to play in the big scheme of the MCU. By introducing the character of Namor in Wakanda Forever, an interesting new era emerges for the MCU.
Spoilers for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ahead.
Namor’s origin story
At one point during Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Namor (Tenoch Huerta) recounts his origins to Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright). During this retelling, Namor reveals that his mother consumed a plant infused with vibranium while he was in the womb, which gave them blue skin and the ability to breathe underwater.
This plant also affected the unborn Namor, who was eventually born with enhanced strength and wings on his ankles that allowed him to fly.
“I was a mutant,” he tells Shuri during the film.
The use of the word ‘mutant’ is significant for any comic book fan.
For years now, Marvel Studios has been unable to touch mutant characters, like the X-Men, due to their rights remaining with other studios, namely Fox. When Disney acquired Fox Studios, the characters became free to use again, and many fans have been waiting for the MCU to introduce more mutant characters.
When are mutants coming to the MCU?
During an interview with Lifehacker Australia, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever producer Nate Moore explained that X-Men is something Marvel is excited about and that introducing Namor as a mutant is staying true to his comic book origins:
“I mean, it’s no secret that the X-Men is a franchise both audiences are excited about and we’re excited about. It’s also no secret that Namor is a mutant. You know, we would have been disingenuous to not say on the face what is implied and what is canon frankly,” Moore said.
In Marvel comics, Namor is considered one of the first and most powerful mutants. In Wakanda Forever, his unique origins give him the ability to live on both land and underwater, and he has abilities far beyond that of the other Talokans.
When asked whether Namor’s mutant status will have ramifications for the MCU, Moore told us that it is something Marvel thinks about “a lot”:
“It is fun to start to see these things that, hopefully, bear fruit later on. It doesn’t mean it’s around the corner, but it does mean it is something we think about and talk about a lot,” he said.
This is the second character Marvel has introduced using the word mutant on-screen, with the other being Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan from Ms Marvel.
Back at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019, Kevin Feige teased that a new Mutants project would be coming to the MCU. With the next three phases of the Multiverse saga filling up quickly, it’s a popular fan theory that after Phase 6 ends with Avengers: Secret Wars, the MCU will move into the Mutants saga.
It’s clear that Marvel is already laying the groundwork for this to happen now, particularly with the introduction of characters like Namor.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is in cinemas now.
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