How Endgame’s Namor Tease Can Setup Black Panther 2’s Story

Avengers: Endgame really did include a Namor the Sub-Mariner tease, and now that it’s been confirmed as intentional, what does the reference mean for Black Panther 2? Black Widow’s exchange with Okoye (Dania Gurira) early on in the film could hold a great deal of meaning for the story of the highly anticipated Black Panther sequel, given that the tease was particularly associated with Wakanda.

With a worldwide box office haul of $1.3 billion, 2018’s Black Panther was a record-breaking film for Marvel Studios, so there was little doubt that a sequel would be produced. At SDCC 2019, Black Panther 2 was officially confirmed to be in development with Ryan Coogler, who helmed the first film, returning to direct. The film is scheduled for a May 2022 release, and despite the fact that nearly every other movie on Marvel’s slate was pushed back, Black Panther 2 kept its release date.

As for what its story will entail, Marvel is keeping this information under wraps. Who Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) will fight is also a secret. As Black Panther doesn’t have the rich rogues’ gallery of villains shared by heroes like Spider-Man, it seems highly possible that Black Panther 2 may borrow from the pages of another hero’s comic, or it could feature a major comic book character with connections to Panther, such as Namor the Sub-Mariner. Though more of an anti-hero than a full-fledged supervillain, Namor does have a history of being an antagonist, and as one of the most well-known Marvel characters who has yet to appear on the big screen, he could be Marvel’s choice for Black Panther 2‘s villain.

Avengers: Endgame’s Namor Reference Explained

In the first half of Avengers: Endgame, Black Widow (Scarlet Johansson) is checking with the other characters who are continuing operations around the world (and the galaxy) when Okoye interjects that underwater earthquakes have been occurring off the coast of Africa, but she doesn’t elaborate any further. Natasha asks Okoye how Wakanda will deal with this issue, to which Okoye replies, “It’s an earthquake under the ocean. We handle it by not handling it.” Immediately, fans took this remark as a reference to Namor the Sub-Mariner and the kingdom of Atlantis, and a sign that the Avenging Son could finally be on his way to the MCU.

Later, Endgame writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely poured cold water on this theory in an interview when Markus said, “I wish we were that smart“. But during a recent watch party for Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, interest in the line and what it meant for the MCU reignited when a fan asked on Twitter if the reference to Namor was intentional. This time, Markus responded and said, “Sometimes, you plant seeds. Sometimes, they grow.” In other words, the writers did indeed mean to draw attention to Namor and Atlantis, though why they waited so long to admit it is unclear (or perhaps they’re just leaning into the fact that fans have rallied around the Namor tease). Including the line doesn’t necessarily mean Marvel will ever expand on it, but it did build the groundwork in case Marvel does introduce Namor eventually.

What Wakanda’s Relationship With Atlantis Could Be

If Okoye was, in fact, talking about Atlantis, what does Okoye’s answer to Natasha’s question say about Wakanda’s relationship with Atlantis? Whatever is going on in Atlantis, Wakanda clearly has no intention of getting involved. It would seem that Wakanda is aware of Atlantis, but the two kingdoms are staying out of each other’s affairs. This would indicate that relations between them are either strained or nonexistent. Based on what’s known about them in the comics, this makes sense. For decades, Atlantis and Wakanda tolerated each other, but problems between them go all the way back to the pages of The Defenders in the 1970s when Wakanda mistakenly launched missiles at Atlantis. Namor averted an all-out war by intercepting the missiles, but the tensions between them have never really gone away. In fact, they’ve worsened by other diplomatic incidents and conflicts between Black Panther and Namor. And in recent years, a war even erupted between them.

What Avengers: Endgame’s Underwater Earthquakes Could Mean

What could be causing the underwater earthquakes mentioned in Avengers: Endgame? Since they started occurring in the aftermath of the snap in Avengers: Infinity War, they’re likely related to it in one way or another. It could be that the snap has thrown Atlantis into turmoil. If half of their population was suddenly decimated by an unknown event, it could have led to a civil war, especially if the people in power were among those taken out by the snap. Namor himself – or whoever Atlantis’ current ruler is – may have been erased from existence by Thanos (Josh Brolin).

Weakened by the snap, Atlantis’ government could have become prone to a rebellion. In the comics, Namor occasionally does deal with other factions of Atlanteans that aren’t governed by him, such as Attuma and his people. It’s certainly understandable that such an unexpected catastrophe may have threatened the power structure in Atlantis. So a war between two different groups of Atlanteans may have been what resulted in the disturbances noted by Okoye.

How Avengers: Endgame’s Namor Reference Could Set Up Black Panther 2

Avengers: Endgame‘s Namor reference could serve as setup for Black Panther 2 if Marvel is planning on using the Avenging Son as its villain. What this tease says about Atlantis is that the two kingdoms already have a history, and that could come into play in the next movie. As for the earthquakes, what was happening in Atlantis – whether it be a war or some other incident – could lead to something huge, especially if someone new took power over the kingdom.

Thanos’ snap changed so much for everyone in the universe, so there’s no reason why it wouldn’t have had an equally detrimental effect on Atlantis. Having their population erased by events that took place on the surface may have altered their perspective on the outside world, as well. Atlantis may determine that humanity presents a problem that needs to be eliminated (or at least controlled), and so, Atlantis’ isolation could soon end if they decide to take action. So relations between Atlantis and Wakanda may go from bad to worse in Black Panther 2, if that’s a route Marvel chooses to take. And if Namor is the main antagonist, it will be interestingly to see what exactly motivates his crusade against Wakanda.