news culture Black Panther 2: Namor emerges from the waves and tells us about his culture
One more week to wait to find Wakanda in the cinema with Black Panther Wakanda Forever. As usual, Marvel multiplies small trailers and commercials, the opportunity for viewers to learn a little more about Namor, the Prince of the Seas.
Namor, the charismatic ruler of the underwater kingdom of Talokan
Highly anticipated, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will stage a new carrier of the costume, which could very well be Shuri, the sister of T’Challa, who was played by the late Chadwick Boseman. The disappearance of the actor has been integrated into the scenario, so as not to represent it in synthetic images or to recast the character. It is therefore a Wakanda in mourning that will have to face a new threat, played on screen by Tenoch Huerta under the guise of Namor.
The latter is not fundamentally an antagonist, and is instead presented as someone who has the same goals than the rulers of Wakanda, but whose means of doing so clash with those of the ancient Hidden Kingdom. This new featurette is about Namor, with interventions by the actor who plays him, director Ryan Coogler, Letitia Wright (Shuri) and Angela Basset (Ramonda). Namor’s story seems at first filled with suffering, since the character’s first intervention allows us to hear him say that his ancestors explained that only the most broken people could become great leaders.
“Talokan means a lot to me”, Tenoch Huerta talks about his role
For the director, it was an opportunity to introduce a new people and a charismatic character. Namor indeed directs Talokan, and is one of the first superheroes according to producer Nate Moore. Tenoch Huerta takes over and explains that Namor, as a leader, loves his people and takes his job of protecting and serving them very seriously. For the Mexican actor, it is also an opportunity to add a little of his culture, with “dignity and respect”since Namor and his kingdom are inspired by the representations of the peoples mesoamericans. Letitia Wright, Shuri, says she’s very excited for viewers to discover Talokan, and the way he opposes Wakanda despite a similar goal. A statement accompanied by an excerpt in which Namor indicates that he needs to know whether Wakanda is an ally or an enemy.
A long-awaited release, and rave reviews
In France, Black Panther Wakanda Forever will be released in theaters on November 9, and it was not won. Disney had indeed engaged in a standoff with France, protesting against the chronology of the media which obliges distributors to wait 17 months before a film screened at the cinema can arrive on SVOD platforms. Finally, Disney has started discussions on the subject, and the film will be available in dark rooms. If it does not officially come out until next week, the media have already been able to attend preview screenings, and we can say that it makes you want to.
Orlando Maldonado of Rotten Tomatoes thus explains that the film is “exceptional”and that it offers a level of “maturity and seriousness rarely seen in the MCU”. Same story on the side of The Hollywood Reporter, which evokes a heavy and dark film, poignant and powerful. Others talk about the best movie of the MCU phase 4, or even for best feature film Marvel since Avengers: Endgame, just that. The opinions of the professionals are therefore extremely positive, it only remains to see if Black Panther Wakanda Forever explodes the scores at the Box Office, and if he will know have the same impact than the first installment.
