Black Panther 2's Final Scene Proves Namor Isn't Ready To Join The Avengers
Any fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe knows that the script for the "Black Panther" sequel changed dramatically after the death of Chadwick Boseman in August 2020, per Variety. Rumors and whispers soon surfaced about potential antagonists for the revamped "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever." At San Diego Comic-Con (via IGN on Twitter) in July 2022, the antagonist was revealed to be Namor the Sub-Mariner, played by Mexican actor Tenoch Huerta. Fans were able to see this in the teaser trailer that was shown during the event and saw more of Namor during the official trailer release in early October.
Introducing Namor and the Atlanteans is a huge deal. Namor was one of the first heroes to ever be published by the comic book company back in 1939, reports TIME. Technically, based on the publication date, he's the first mutant ever. Namor and Black Panther also have a complicated history. Both have been a significant part of the Avengers and the Illuminati comic history. The two heroes' personalities are similar as well and they often clash. This makes Namor a great choice for "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."
Kevin Feige and Ryan Coogler adapted Namor's origin a little for the film, but a lot of who Namor is as a character remains, which ultimately proves that he isn't ready to be part of the Avengers just yet.
Namor has been consumed by vengeance
During the events of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," Namor and the people of Talokan start causing trouble when they kill members of a United States operation that is searching for vibranium. Although they do this out of protection for their home, Namor's approach is aggressive, even for Shuri (Letitia Wright) and Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett). Namor willingly disrespects Wakandan borders to essentially intimidate Shuri and the Queen into helping him track down the scientist that created the device that could search for vibranium. This happens to be none other than Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), who's just a genius 19-year-old college student that didn't know her machine plans were abused by the U.S. government. Shuri, the Queen, and Okoye (Danai Gurira) clearly see that this is a conflict of morality, but Namor doesn't consider any ethical repercussions.
While Namor holds Shuri captive later on and shows her Talokan, he explains how their people came to be, out of struggle and desperation. When his mother died, she wanted to be buried back on land, and when he took her there, he saw the people that were still there had become enslaved. Enraged, he killed them all and vowed revenge against the surface world. He tells Shuri that his ultimate goal is to wage war on the whole of the surface world with Wakanda as their ally. This vendetta seems to be Namor's driving force in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."
Namor's quest for revenge prevents him from allying with the Avengers
This anger built up inside Namor ultimately leads him to kill Queen Ramonda and attack Wakanda toward the end of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever." After facing an incredible amount of loss, Shuri herself is more like Namor than ever near the end of the movie too. She seeks out Namor after becoming the new Black Panther, intending to kill him for what he did to Wakanda and her mother, but ultimately chooses a path similar to her brother, T'Challa. She makes Namor yield instead of killing him. Namor ultimately tells the people of Talokan to stand down and return to the seas. This may have been taken as a gesture of growth for Namor, but things didn't change much.
When Namor speaks to Namora (Mabel Cadena) in the film's final scene, he explains that his decision was strategic: he wants Wakandans to develop empathy for Talokan in the future when they seek allies in a battle against the surface world. Namor has not overcome his grief, and he is far from joining the surface-dwelling Avengers. Only time will tell if Namor will ever join the Avengers as we move into Phase 5 of the MCU.