Namor Villain or Hero?
Namor has played an important role in the comics and with his upcoming appearance in the new Black Panther movie, the question arises around Namor, would he be a Villain or a Hero?
His adventures include being a member of Marvel’s Invaders while being one of the fierce rivals of Wakanda as a whole. Even as far as being a member of the notorious Illuminati and having run-ins with The Fantastic Four in the Marvel comics
Hybrid Ancestors
In the Marvel comics, Namor the Submariner was born on the coast of Atlantis in the Antarctic. His mother was the daughter of Emperor Thakorr and his father was a sea captain. Although his father, McKenzie was unaware of the fact that his mother, Fen, was a spy for the Atlantians.
Fearing that Fen’s cover had been blown, the Atlantians attacked the Oracle and killed Namor’s biological father. He was soon to play an important role for the Atlanteans.
The aquatic superhuman was raised in the city of Atlantis as the prince, and he was a warrior for his people against the surface dwellers. He met Betty Dean, a New York City policewoman, in New Jersey, and the two became good friends.
When World War II came around in history, he joined the Axis forces.
Good or Evil?
From what we know Namor is most likely to be portrayed as a villainous character in the upcoming release Black Panther Wakanda Forever.
Namor was teased in Avenger’s Endgame by alluding to unusual seismic activity in the deep ocean so fans are in for a ride as Wakandans are in to face one of their strongest adversaries. That too in the face of the death of T’Challa actor, Chadwick Boseman, who the Director has no intentions of recasting.
Namor has big shoes to fill as an antagonist as he is succeeding Killmonger, one of the better villains portrayed on-screen in the MCU.
The two nations of Wakanda and Atlantis have had some history with one another in the comics and it is for this reason that fans believe Namor will find an opportunity in the absence of the Black Panther T’Challa to attack.
What sets Namor apart from his peers is his status.
While he is a controversial figure, it’s difficult to label him a definitive hero or villain
It would not be wrong to predict his role as an anti-hero in the upcoming Black Panther movie. Similar to older characters such as Bucky, the character may start out as evil and may be on the side of the good by the time the plot reaches its climax.
With the history between the aquatic kingdom and Wakanda however, it would not be surprising to see political motives drive the hedge between the two nations.
Most of the time, Namor does what he does, either good or bad for the benefit of his people. This has led a lot of the Marvel characters in the comics to show respect towards Namor, who may be portrayed as an anti-hero, similar to the likes of previously introduced characters such as Wanda and Loki. Such anti-heroes allow for greater character development and deeper plot lines.
Conclusion
So would the ruler of Atlantis Namor be a villain or hero in the latest installment of Black Panther? With the evidence we have right now, it would be safe to assume that Namor would be displayed as a villain in the upcoming movie.
However, fans should be in for many surprises as the movie is succeeding as one of Marvel’s most iconic blockbuster hits. With the untimely demise of Chadwick Boseman, it would also be interesting to see how Namor would fit in the existing MCU timeline.