Namor Is A Mutant In The MCU… So Does He Join The X-Men?!

This article contains spoilers for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.Black Panther: Wakanda Forever confirmed Namor is a mutant, leaving many wondering if he’ll become part of the MCU’s X-Men. Marvel regained the film rights to the X-Men back in 2019, when Disney acquired the bulk of Fox’s film and TV empire, and the MCU has wasted no time introducing mutants into the MCU. Ms. Marvel was technically the MCU’s first official mutant, but she’s swiftly been followed by Namor the Sub-Mariner, who confirmed mutants have existed in the MCU for centuries. Namor was born in 1571, with his mutant genes manifesting in winged feet, the ability to absorb oxygen through his skin meaning he can survive both in the air and in water, and tremendous superhuman strength.

Namor is a mutant in the comics as well, where he is the son of a human and an Atlantean, possessing one of the mutant X-genes that grants him superhuman powers. This naturally means he has a long history with the X-Men, first crossing their path in 1964’s Uncanny X-Men #6, when Magneto attempted to persuade Namor to join his (unironically named) Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Although Namor is most commonly associated with the Fantastic Four, he’s had a recurring presence in the X-Men comics, becoming one of their most important allies.

Does Namor Join The X-Men In Marvel Comics?

In the comics, the Scarlet Witch depowered most of the world’s mutants while under the influence of a demonic entity, and the mutant race was brought to the brink of extinction. Cyclops, then leader of the X-Men, formed an alliance with Namor that essentially pitted the mutants and Namor’s Atlanteans against the rest of the world. Namor helped the X-Men establish an artificial island nation named Utopia, and he served as a member of Cyclops’ heavy-hitting X-Men team, his presence designed to ensure humans thought twice about crossing the last mutants. When the Phoenix Force arrived on Earth to reignite the mutant gene, its power was briefly divided between five mutant hosts – Namor numbering among them.

The mutant race is no longer endangered in modern X-Men comics, instead uniting on the living island of Krakoa. Amusingly, Namor passed up on an opportunity to forge a new alliance with the X-Men, believing they lacked vision. He did so less than an hour before the X-Men demonstrated their potential by literally terraforming Mars, claiming it for a mutant community originating from another universe.

What’s Namor’s MCU Future After Black Panther 2?

Played by Tenoch Huerta, the MCU’s Namor has clearly been set up as a power played in the shared universe. He believes he must wage war against the surface world on behalf of the people of Talokan, but his defeat at the hands of Wakanda means he knows he needs allies. This puts him in a fascinating position, because his role going forward will largely depend on the other powers introduced in the next few films. More mutants are certainly coming to the MCU, meaning Namor could well find potential allies. This doesn’t necessarily mean Namor will become an X-Man in the MCU, though; it’s easy to imagine this version of Namor responding very differently to a proposal from Magneto. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever could set Namor up as a member of the Brotherhood just as easily as a friend of the X-Men.