IMPERIUS REX! Namor the Sub-Mariner Appreciation 2022

[Reviresco]

Yes, I have seen it and it looks somewhat promising. I know it's probably been brought up here already but it's too bad Marvel took a while to get going with Namor. DC's Aquaman beat them to the punch and succeeded in staying mostly faithful to the character...except he looked more like Jae Lee's version of Namor! Maybe this is why Marvel felt they needed to make some alterations to the character. I really would rather he stay Atlantean.

Cover from the 2019 John Byrne Jae Lee Namor omnibus

As I've said repeatedly, DC LOVES Namor. Not only did they liberally lift from Namor for Aquaman, but now the Johns version of Black Adam is going to make it to the screen before Namor. Meanwhile, Marvel doesn't appear to know Namor exists. It appears he is going to be completely ignored in AXE, where he has ties to every side of the conflict! And let's not even get started on the sheer crap Aaron is heaping on the character, when he remember he's on the team -- mystic variant Invaders team, fighting Nazi Kraken, but not a variant Namor is sight. SMH.

[Reviresco]

The Mesoamerican thing is an odd choice, but I do think it can work as a contrast to Wakanda, so I'm willing to give it a chance. I think the foot gear does make the wings work better, imo. That being said, the Jaguar headdress is weird as is the whole Jaguar god thing. It seems weird pushing it so far from Poseidon/Neptune. It feels almost like they had two ideas - one was to have a Maya mythos incorporated and the other was to have Atlantis and they sort of squished them together.

This is the main reason I did not want Namor and Atlantis in any sort of Black Panther story or show. Atlantis and Namor are far older and storied and connected than BP and Wakanda. They should have their own story, their own push, their own movie / show, and not be considered as support for BP. Creative decisions for Namor and Atlantis shouldn't depend on making BP look good. It's a total crap demotion on Marvel's oldest and seminal character. Especially given how much potential Namor and Atlantis has with their totally unique setting -- underwater. Just take a look at the Avatar trailer to see what Marvel is missing out on.

But yes, I agree on the weirdness of the Jaguar god connection.

I still maintain, if they wanted to use the Mesoamerican take, they should have done a Savage Land (which even has a vibranium connection) lost tribe thing and left Namor and Atlantis out of it.

[Iron Maiden]

As I've said repeatedly, DC LOVES Namor. Not only did they liberally lift from Namor for Aquaman, but now the Johns version of Black Adam is going to make it to the screen before Namor. Meanwhile, Marvel doesn't appear to know Namor exists. It appears he is going to be completely ignored in AXE, where he has ties to every side of the conflict! And let's not even get started on the sheer crap Aaron is heaping on the character, when he remember he's on the team -- mystic variant Invaders team, fighting Nazi Kraken, but not a variant Namor is sight. SMH.

I avoid Aaron at all costs. I only picked up a couple of the Avengers Forever issues with Doom but I doubt I'll buy anymore. I may look into the rest of it when it hits Marvel Unlimited. I really think DC is a bit shameless in how much they copied Namor.

[ImperiusWrecked]

Admirably optimistic of you, IW! But surely you aren't happy that MCU Namor won't be yelling, Imperius Rex!! ;p

Lol, well we won't know he won't say it until the movie is out! However there are some good stuff about the Atlanteans, we all were concerned they weren't going to be blue but that seems to be wrong, and hey Avatar 2 won't have the only Blue water people anymore.

[Doombot]

I like blue people.

I am more excited for Avatar 2 than Black Panther 2 though. Obviously Namor is my boy all the way, but Black Panther 2 is filling me with more anxiety than I'd like lol. Avatar will just let me enjoy aquatic blue people without the stress.

[legion_quest]

This is the main reason I did not want Namor and Atlantis in any sort of Black Panther story or show. Atlantis and Namor are far older and storied and connected than BP and Wakanda. They should have their own story, their own push, their own movie / show, and not be considered as support for BP. Creative decisions for Namor and Atlantis shouldn't depend on making BP look good. It's a total crap demotion on Marvel's oldest and seminal character. Especially given how much potential Namor and Atlantis has with their totally unique setting -- underwater. Just take a look at the Avatar trailer to see what Marvel is missing out on.

But yes, I agree on the weirdness of the Jaguar god connection.

I still maintain, if they wanted to use the Mesoamerican take, they should have done a Savage Land (which even has a vibranium connection) lost tribe thing and left Namor and Atlantis out of it.

I was hoping that Namor was a huge misdirect and the actual movie would see a Wakandan tribe having crossed to Mesoamerica and used the technology to hide a 'City in the Sky' in the vein of Machu Picchu with White Tiger as their version of Black Panther.

[InfamousBG]

I don't think Marvel has deviated from the source material as much as they have with Namor. Now, whether that ends up being a bust for them ... well, it will be hard to tell, given the death of Boseman and other problems BP 2 has had to deal with.

I agree with you.

[namorcosplay]

I am cautiously optimistic about everything. I really like the designs, I think for a visual language the Mayan route is really cool, although the second look with the massive Mayan headdress is already stressing me out thinking about cosplaying it. (Praying for a 3d print) Ive never been on board with him being in Black Panther film cause it all started with the Phoenix, I have accepted it's happening and I cant change it so on a positive side I am glad it is in the hands of Ryan Coogler who is a fantastic director. It is better than say if htey introduced him in a F4 movie cause previously it was Jon Watts, who is a pretty vanilla director. Also PRAYING they keep him away from Sue so we can have Lady Dorma one day. I agree with people that the facial hair a no for me, Namor needs to be clean shaven with short hair. But hey at least he has his wings and ears, his eyebrows could be more arched tho tbh.

I try and look on the positive side of things that I cant change, especially after the Game of Thrones finale, and I think we will be surprised at how cool this turns out. I wouldve loved to have seen Atlantis in Antarctica, that couldve been really cool, but this also has potiental too! I mean meso-america has also been theorized to be where the location of Atlantis was anyway,so it's not that far off. Maybe that's why they chose it? Another positive is there were rumors that Atlateans would not be blue, so I am very happy that Attuma is which gives us hope for that.

I have 2 concerns right now

The first is Namora, I dont think she has ever been blue before, I know Nita was. My concern with that, and in general with the inclusion of Namora is I hope to go they dont adapt that stupid incest retcon from Agents of Atlas where Namora was like "oh my father was adopted into the royal family so we TECHNICALLY arent related" gross! Marvel does have a track record, so I am worried about that. I specifically want Namor's first love in the films to be Lady Dorma, and I will scream and preach this until I die

My second is I am hoping they dont retcon the comics, I love Namor and I hope that they dont change his history and definitely dont change his appearance. My favorite Eternal in the comics is Makkari, they gender/raceswapped him in the movie, I LOVED Eternals and Lauren Ridloff did a phenomeal job. However they changed Makkari to that in the comics, and thus visually my Makkari no longer exists except in old comics. I hope they dont do that to Namor. My hope is that it will provoke them to give him a solo run, if costume wise and maybe background visuals bleed in thats fine, but at the core I hope he stays the same. Maybe also continuing what Busiek started and brining back Lady Dorma.

I have one expectation from this film, Namor can be an antagonist, but NOT a villain. It also pisses me off when people call him the villain of Wakanda Forever, theres a difference between Antagonist and villain. Time will tell

[Frontier]

Not sure where this is from but it's being touted as promo art for 'Namora' though it clearly is NOT Namora. Are those feathers? Or giant lion fish fins??

Yeah, this looks nothing like Namora. She looks like some random character from Avatar.

[ImperiusWrecked]

I am cautiously optimistic about everything. I really like the designs, I think for a visual language the Mayan route is really cool, although the second look with the massive Mayan headdress is already stressing me out thinking about cosplaying it. (Praying for a 3d print) Ive never been on board with him being in Black Panther film cause it all started with the Phoenix, I have accepted it's happening and I cant change it so on a positive side I am glad it is in the hands of Ryan Coogler who is a fantastic director. It is better than say if htey introduced him in a F4 movie cause previously it was Jon Watts, who is a pretty vanilla director. Also PRAYING they keep him away from Sue so we can have Lady Dorma one day. I agree with people that the facial hair a no for me, Namor needs to be clean shaven with short hair. But hey at least he has his wings and ears, his eyebrows could be more arched tho tbh.

I try and look on the positive side of things that I cant change, especially after the Game of Thrones finale, and I think we will be surprised at how cool this turns out. I wouldve loved to have seen Atlantis in Antarctica, that couldve been really cool, but this also has potiental too! I mean meso-america has also been theorized to be where the location of Atlantis was anyway,so it's not that far off. Maybe that's why they chose it? Another positive is there were rumors that Atlateans would not be blue, so I am very happy that Attuma is which gives us hope for that.

I have 2 concerns right now

The first is Namora, I dont think she has ever been blue before, I know Nita was. My concern with that, and in general with the inclusion of Namora is I hope to go they dont adapt that stupid incest retcon from Agents of Atlas where Namora was like "oh my father was adopted into the royal family so we TECHNICALLY arent related" gross! Marvel does have a track record, so I am worried about that. I specifically want Namor's first love in the films to be Lady Dorma, and I will scream and preach this until I die

My second is I am hoping they dont retcon the comics, I love Namor and I hope that they dont change his history and definitely dont change his appearance. My favorite Eternal in the comics is Makkari, they gender/raceswapped him in the movie, I LOVED Eternals and Lauren Ridloff did a phenomeal job. However they changed Makkari to that in the comics, and thus visually my Makkari no longer exists except in old comics. I hope they dont do that to Namor. My hope is that it will provoke them to give him a solo run, if costume wise and maybe background visuals bleed in thats fine, but at the core I hope he stays the same. Maybe also continuing what Busiek started and brining back Lady Dorma.

I have one expectation from this film, Namor can be an antagonist, but NOT a villain. It also pisses me off when people call him the villain of Wakanda Forever, theres a difference between Antagonist and villain. Time will tell

I'm also trying to stay positive until I can get the full picture, and I am really glad the costumes look cool, imagine if we had what the Inhumans TV show had? :/ I really don't think there will be any Namor/Namora storyline bc this is Disney, they wouldn't go that route, and honestly having Namor as a Prince of a strong country vs Namor as a love interest rival in FF is a no brainer for me, even if it is in a Black Panther movie, at least I know the director can make the antagonists sympathetic. And we really don't know if Lady Dorma will be there or not bc she might have a non speaking role or something! I do wish Marvel would leave the comics and mcu as seperate things and I've seen how badly it goes when they try to change it up but I do hope this will get some kind of comic going with a creator who knows the character.

[Reviresco]

Yeah, this looks nothing like Namora. She looks like some random character from Avatar.

She also doesn't have ankle wings. I'm guessing she's Andromeda, not Namora. The last thing this movie needs is TWO hybrid Atlanteans -- of course, the costume looks nothing like Andromeda either. At least with Namor and Attuma they tried to look like the comic costumes.

[Reviresco]

I avoid Aaron at all costs. I only picked up a couple of the Avengers Forever issues with Doom but I doubt I'll buy anymore. I may look into the rest of it when it hits Marvel Unlimited. I really think DC is a bit shameless in how much they copied Namor.

Wise choice.

Aaron is a good writer, but this Avengers run is ... well, let's be polite and say not. I think the rest of the MU is just avoiding it like heck, since they also don't know what he is doing. He clearly plays his favorites, which I guess all writers do to a degree, but no one I else is trying to retcon them into bedrock importance to the MU, like he is.

Yes. DC and Marvel's treatment of Namor is endlessly frustrating to me.

[Reviresco]

Lol, well we won't know he won't say it until the movie is out! However there are some good stuff about the Atlanteans, we all were concerned they weren't going to be blue but that seems to be wrong, and hey Avatar 2 won't have the only Blue water people anymore.

It's already weird that alleged Mayan characters have names like Namor and Attuma, it's going to be really weird if the Mayan's battle cry is in fake Latin.

But yes. On the positive side, we got blue Atlanteans, a bi-racial Namor, ankle wings! pointy ears! and a speedo like costume in the right colors!

I like blue people.

I am more excited for Avatar 2 than Black Panther 2 though. Obviously Namor is my boy all the way, but Black Panther 2 is filling me with more anxiety than I'd like lol. Avatar will just let me enjoy aquatic blue people without the stress.

I agree. Very much looking forward to Avatar 2. Once they put Namor in BP 2, I am filled with dread.

[Reviresco]

I was hoping that Namor was a huge misdirect and the actual movie would see a Wakandan tribe having crossed to Mesoamerica and used the technology to hide a 'City in the Sky' in the vein of Machu Picchu with White Tiger as their version of Black Panther.

YES! I've been hoping for a misdirect ever since the leaks started! They could still have done it, except this merchandise is now out with their names, so clearly that isn't happening.

[Reviresco]

Has anyone actually seen Tenoch Huerta in a movie?

I've seen him in two things, and neither have struck me as suitable for Namor. I've seen Forever Purge and a short called Debris. He was also in The 33, which I saw, but I don't recall him in that all.

It's not my cup of tea at all, but I guess I'll have to watch Narcos Mexico, which I suspect was what caught the casting director's attention.