The MCU has reigned supreme over the Hollywood world for nearly 15 years now and has zero plans of slowing down any time soon (they have as many future projects planned as they have completed past projects). They revolutionized the process of turning solo-movie success into multi-platform entertainment experiences and have given on-screen birth to hundreds of Marvel’s coveted superheroes (and villains) in the process. However, one hero has yet to show his presence in the MCU, but it’s high time (or should we say ‘high tide’) that said hero makes a big splash in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The hero’s name is Namor — also known as the ‘Sub-Mariner.’ Marvel’s King of Atlantis.

DCEU may have beaten the MCU to the punch on this one, but make no mistake that longtime Marvel fans have been begging to see a rendition of Namor ever since the first Avengers movie back in 2012, as Namor was one of the original Avengers in the comics. Despite their wishes having yet to come true, all signs point toward this being the perfect time to let the aquatic hero take his first MCU dive.

Extension of the MCU

With the success of Spider-Man: No Way Home introducing the concept of the multiverse and the confirmed plot details of Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness delving even further into the concept, it’s safe to say that the MCU will have plenty of new and fresh material to keep fans happy for several more years if not, decades. That being said, even with the addition of former Fox-owned characters like the Fantastic Four, X-Men, and Deadpool, there are still plenty of new Marvel-owned characters that have yet to be seen – i.e., Namor.


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Other heroes getting their first on-screen MCU appearances include Moon Knight, She-Hulk, Blade, Ironheart, but Namor is by far the oldest one and the most overdue for an appearance. Now, an appearance by Namor is easier said than done, even with the extension of the MCU as Namor’s film rights are in the same twisted-knot that Hulk’s are. This means the MCU can use the character, but can’t give him his own full-blown movie. So, while a cameo or secondary part is all fans could really hope for, they’re still eagerly hoping for it.

Hype from Aquaman 2 Coming Out

It’s no surprise that the MCU has plowed triumphantly ahead of the DCEU in recent years, but that’s partially due to DC putting out a couple of rushed flops. Even so, one of the DCEU properties that have actually been nothing but successful has been the Aquaman franchise. Fans and critics alike have praised Jason Momoa for his rendition of the aquatic sea-king. Despite his first appearance in Justice League hitting a speed bump (not his fault), he roared back from the briny depths to star in his own standalone film, which gave the DC its first billion-dollar movie since The Dark Knight Rises and the DCEU it’s first billion-dollar movie ever.


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So, with the Aquaman sequel coming out in December and the fact that the two characters share almost identical powers and backstories, it would be a perfect time to introduce audiences to the Marvel version of Atlantis’ king. Now, some fans or critics might call that a risky move as there would undoubtedly be an army of internet trolls claiming Namor is just an Aquaman copycat. However, true Marvel fans know that Namor’s existence actually predates Aquaman in the comics. Namor was created in 1939, a full two years before Aquaman would ever see the light of day.

How Namor Could Appear in Future MCU Projects

Again, this is tricky due to Namor’s film rights being held under lock-and-key by Universal, just like Hulk. But as Marvel has proven time again, they can pull off the impossible, and that’s just what they can do here. While Namor won’t get his own standalone film anytime soon, there are rumors floating around that Marvel could legally create a Namor television series on Disney+ since television is considered a separate entertainment entity. Even if that turned out not to be the case, Namor could still show up in future movies as an ally to one of the Avengers. Provided that doesn’t work, the MCU could also decide to have him show up in a movie as an antagonist instead.


However, there have already been several reports that the villain of the upcoming Black Panther 2 could be none other than Namor himself, with the actor Tenoch Huerta allegedly being cast. The plot of the movie is said to be centered around the nations of Wakanda and Atlantis being at ends with one another. That premise would make quite a bit of sense. In Avengers: Endgame, Okoye mentions to Nat something about underwater earthquakes. What if these earthquakes were actually battles from a civil war among the Atlanteans due to their king (Namor) being blipped away during The Snap? If Namor was blipped away and has returned to his kingdom in disarray, you can bet he’ll be taking his anger out on the surface dwellers whom he’ll assuredly lay the blame on.

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