Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Teases Namor's Vibranium Connection

By Russ Burlingame

A new TV spot for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever dropped last night, and confirmed a suspicion some fans have had since the first look at Tenoch Huerta's Namor was revealed. According to a clip, the Aztec-inspired jewelry worn by Namor in the film is made of Vibranium, suggesting that in addition to his own mutant powers, Namor is supplementing his abilities (and likely his army) with the metal, putting him on more of an even footing with Wakanda. There's also a line in the trailer -- "without the Black Panther, Wakdanda will fall" -- which may hint at Namor's motivations.

After all, the first Black Panther film drew praise from fans and critics for presenting a villain in Killmonger who was not only sympathetic, but who made a very good point. By the end of the film, T'Challa more or less came around to his half-brother's thinking, and took Wakanda public at the United Nations, revealing their vast stores of Vibranium and status as a highly developed nation.

In that context, you could see why Namor, who seemingly rules a neighboring nation that is also Vibranium-rich, might be concerned. Now, the whole world knows that there are untold riches waiting to be plundered if Wakanda can be conquered or colonized. From Namor's perspective, this would not only destabilize the political balance of the planet, but it would paint a bull's eye on his kingdom, as well. 

If that's his motive for attacking, it could be that he believes by uniting the two kingdoms, they can defend themselves against the outside world no matter what happens. That could tie into Huerta's claims that Namor is an antihero, rather than a villain, in the film.

Here's the teaser if you want to check it out...

...And you can see the film's official synopsis below.

In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, according to the official synopsis, Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M'Baku, Okoye, and the Dora Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T'Challa's death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with Nakia and Everett Ross to forge a new path for their beloved kingdom.

Black Panther director Ryan Coogler returns to direct Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, based on a screenplay he co-wrote with Joe Robert Cole. The film stars Letitia Wright as Shuri, Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia, Danai Gurira as Okoya, Winston Duke as M'Baku, Florence Kasumba as Ayo, Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams/Ironheart, Michaela Coel as Aneka, Tenoch Huerta as Namor, Martin Freeman as Everett Ross, and Angela Bassett as Ramonda.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will open in theaters on November 11th. You can get tickets now.

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