Black Panther: Wakanda Foreverwill officially introduce Namor to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and actor Tenoch Huerta opened up about his experience playing the character and the importance of representation.
Namor the Sub-Mariner debuted in 1939 on the pages ofMarvel Comics #1, butBlack Panther: Wakanda Foreverwill mark the first time the character will appear in a live-action feature film. Director Ryan Coogler and co-writer Joe Robert Cole have reimaginedNamor’s origin forBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever, with the character and his homeworld of Atlantis now based on Mayan and Aztec mythology.
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Huerta is a Mexican actor whose multiple credits in projects from Mexico and Spain include a lead role inNarcos: Mexico. He had beencast inBlack Panther: Wakanda Foreversome time ago, but official confirmation that he was playing Namor was not announced until Marvel Studios' Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2022. After the panel concluded, Huerta spoke with Variety about his time playing Namor and how “amazing” it was to put on the character’s green speedo for the first time. “It’s your skin, your voice, your talent, your story. It’s overwhelming,” he said of the whole experience.
Many Latinx fans were thrilled to see Namor would be played by a Mexican actor with the character having ties to Mayan and Aztec culture. While at Comic-Con, Huerta noted that he was aware of how importanthis inclusion inBlack Panther: Wakanda Foreverwill be. “I’m excited and I’m so happy to be here,” he said. “I want to say something really fast about inclusion. I come from the hood and, thanks to inclusion, I’m here. I wouldn’t be here without inclusion. A lot of kids in the hood are here looking at us dreaming to be here. And they’re going to make it! They’re going to make it!”
Indeed, Namor’s introduction to the MCU will likely elicit a strong emotional reaction from Latinx fans, but nearly everyone is curious to see what kind of role the character will play in the film. TheBlack Panther: Wakanda Forevertrailermade it pretty clear that Namor and his people will come into conflict with the Wakandans, but could both sides be pawns in a third sinister force’s machinations? Time will tell.
Black Panther: Wakanda Foreveris scheduled to release in theaters on May 23, 2025.
