This Look At Keanu Reeves As Namor Is Marvelous
Considering the actor's box office bona-fides, his status as an adored figure in pop culture, and comfort with doing his own stunts (via Indiewire), it might be surprising to consider that Keanu Reeves hasn't played a superhero or comic book character since 2005's supernatural anti-hero "Constantine."
In 2019, MCU mastermind Kevin Feige even acknowledged that he'd wanted Reeves for the Marvel Universe for years. "We talk to him for almost every film we make...I don't know when, if, or ever he'll join the MCU, but we very much want to figure out the right way to do it" (via Comic Book). Perhaps Reeves is perfectly satisfied making "John Wick" sequels, but he's also indicated that he'd like to work with Feige if they could find the right material (via Hypebeast).
Even if Reeves becoming a superhero or a villain in a shared universe won't happen anytime soon, it's still fun to imagine the possibilities for the iconic actor. This fan-made art shared on Instagram, for one, will definitely make fans wish that Reeves was part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe playing this tragic character.
This great painting imagines Keanu as Prince Namor
A painting by user @daanys.art, real name Daanesh Bhathena, posted on Instagram in 2019 realistically depicts how Keanu Reeves would look playing Namor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For those unfamiliar with the comics lore, Namor, aka The Sub-Mariner, is the half-human Prince of Atlantis and one of the most complicated characters in the Marvel Comics. The vengeful Prince often does battle with heroes like the Fantastic Four, but does so because his Atlantean kingdom has been harmed by the "surface dwellers." Namor is also genuinely honorable and often feels torn over his allegiances to Atlantis and to humans like Sue Richards. The Sub-Mariner is sometimes a staunch ally to the other Marvel heroes as a result.
Bhathena's painting portrays Reeves as Namor, with the character underwater and wearing a gold chest plate similar to the character's X-Men armor (via Uncanny X-Men). He's also giving a rather defiant stare that feels appropriate for the passionate, hot-tempered royal Atlantean.
Unfortunately, there's no buzz around whether Reeves would ever play Namor, let alone if the character will ever debut in the MCU when DC has a similar character leading the successful "Aquaman" franchise. But this great, realistic piece can at least allow fans to literally picture how Reeves would look playing the beloved character, and give hope that Reeves' name and likeness will be accompanied by the Marvel Studios logo on a movie poster one day.