What’s Next For Namor After Black Panther: Wakanda Forever?

Warning: This contains SPOILERS for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever!

The Sub-Mariner finally joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Phase 4, and here is what could come next for Namor after Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. For as much as the sequel revolves around Wakanda and dealing with the loss of T’Challa, another pivotal aspect to the movie is introducing Namor and his underwater city of Talokan. Comic readers have waited decades to see the mutant appear on screen, and it is safe to say that Black Panther 2 did not disappoint. The movie heavily featured Tenoch Huerta Mejía’s Namor as the king of Talokan and a powerful antagonist for Wakanda to face.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever gives audiences a chance to understand Namor’s perspective on the surface world and the dangers that currently threaten his kingdom. While he is ultimately defeated by Shuri in Black Panther 2‘s ending, the movie is expected to be the beginning of his MCU story. Marvel Studios has not confirmed any official plans for Tenoch Huerta Mejía’s character so far. But, the overwhelmingly positive response to him ensures that Namor will be back. The good news is that there are several upcoming MCU projects where Namor can return after Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Namor Could Return In MCU’s Fantastic 4 Movie

The next time Namor appears in the MCU may very well be in Marvel’s Fantastic 4. The movie is scheduled to debut in theaters in early 2025 from WandaVision director Matt Shakman. Plot details are still being protected by Marvel Studios, but Namor and the Fantastic Four have a storied history in the comics that the movie could lean on. Namor has at times been a villain for the Fantastic Four team and an ally. He is also known for having a complicated romantic relationship with Sue Storm, who cheated on Reed Richards once with Namor to make Mr. Fantastic jealous.

Namor’s potential role in the MCU’s Fantastic 4 movie could happen in several ways. Since he has been around for over 500 years in the franchise, the Fantastic Four could come across Namor regardless of what year their origin takes place. It would be a bit surprising if he was the main villain of the movie after occupying that role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, so an anti-hero role might be more fitting. The Fantastic Four could even stumble upon the underwater city Talokan by trying to track down Mole Man, who could be one of the movie’s villains.

Namor Needs To Be In Avengers: Kang Dynasty or Secret Wars

Now that Namor is fully integrated into the MCU, it would only make sense that he returns in either Avengers: The Kang Dynasty or Avengers: Secret Wars (if not both). It is commonly believed that the films will feature almost every major MCU character uniting to fight Kang the Conqueror. While the two Avengers movies might be heavily tied to the multiverse, it is expected that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘ incursions mention will factor in heavily. This can create a way for the entirety of Earth-616 to be threatened, which could help make Namor and Talokan come out of hiding to lend their support in protecting their reality.

The idea of having Namor in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty or Avengers: Secret Wars is quite exciting. He would immediately give Earth an even stronger defense against Kang. Namor’s return in the Avengers sequels also could be used to connect him to other prominent MCU characters and teams. This could be another step forward for Marvel Studios to form a new Illuminati team, one that includes Namor, Reed Richards, Doctor Strange, and more.

Namor’s Mutant Origin Connects Him To MCU’s X-Men Movie

Namor’s MCU future after Black Panther: Wakanda Forever already includes a link to Marvel Studios’ future X-Men franchise. The film explicitly confirms that Namor is a mutant thanks to the nature of his birth. He is also the MCU’s oldest mutant as far as the franchise has revealed thanks to his origin dating back to 1517. That makes it appear likely that Marvel will connect Namor to the X-Men franchise in some fashion. He could be used to help explain when they started to appear or even where they have been hiding. And since Namor has joined the X-Men team in the comics, he could do the same in the MCU.

Black Panther 3 Can Bring Namor Back

There is also a strong chance that Namor returns in Black Panther 3. An alliance between Namor/Talokan and Shuri/Wakanda is formed in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s ending, indicating that the two vibranium-enhanced civilizations will cross paths once again. While Namor might have hopes of the alliance making Talokan stronger for a future fight with the surface world, there is a chance that the future includes them teaming up against a common enemy in Black Panther 3.

There are already theories about why Namor and Shuri will need to unite their nations. Since Talokan and Wakanda are now the only confirmed locations with vibranium in the MCU, they will be prime targets for any future threat ambitious enough to take them on. That is why speculation is growing that Doctor Doom will be Black Panther 3‘s villain after rumors of his appearance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s post-credits were false. Doom is a big enough threat to take on Talokan and Wakanda individually and potentially even conquer one of the nations, forcing Namor and Shuri to unite their people against Doom.

Will Marvel Studios Make A Namor Solo MCU Movie?

Namor’s future after Black Panther: Wakanda Forever could even potentially include a solo movie or Disney+ series. Marvel Studios was not able to introduce the Sub-Mariner for a long time due to complications with his movie rights. Universal acquired the rights to Namor’s film appearances during the 1990s as part of Marvel’s attempts to avoid bankruptcy. It was revealed that Marvel Studios reacquired the rights to Namor in 2014, possibly due to not developing a movie for him. However, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige went on to say that there were complications still preventing the studio from making a Namor movie.

It is not known if the complications from old contracts are still a hindrance for Marvel and any plans for a Namor solo MCU movie. If Marvel has yet to fully regain control of Namor, the character could be left in a similar position as Hulk as someone who can only appear in other characters’ projects and team-up events. The response to Namor’s role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever could give Marvel Studios extra incentive to figure out his rights, as there is already plenty of interest in seeing more of the Phase 4 MCU mutant in a leading capacity.