While there had been some rumours that iconic Marvel villain Doctor Doom was set to make an appearance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the main antagonist in the new film is actually another famous figure from the comics – Namor, who is sometimes known as the Sub-Mariner.
And although the big bad in MCU films is commonly played by a big-name Hollywood star, Tenoch Huerta – the Mexican actor chosen to play Namor – will be slightly less familiar to UK and US audiences, more well-known for his work in Latin America and Spain.
Read on for everything you need to know about both the character and the actor.
Who is Namor?
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The latest villain to appear in the MCU, Namor is a famous antagonist from the comics – a mutant with the ability to breathe underwater, survive the incredibly pressurised conditions of the deep ocean, and even fly using wings positioned on his ankles. He rules over an underwater kingdom called Talokan and is ruthlessly opposed to the surface world.
In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever we learn a little of his backstory, which unfolds in Yucatan, Mexico in the year 1571. We discover that his people became water-based mutants after consuming what seemed to be a variation of the heart-shaped herb. His mother took it while he was still in the womb, which resulted in him being born different – he is not blue like the rest of his people and is able to breathe in water and on land.
When his mum dies, Namor goes to bury her in her hometown as she requested but is horrified to find that the town practises slavery – and so he sets about killing assorted colonialists and priests, one of whom calls him “the child without love”.
This is actually where he gets his name. The Spanish for no love is ‘No Amor’, which is shortened to Namor.
Who plays Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever?
Namor is played in the film by Mexican actor Tenoch Huerta, who is perhaps best-known internationally for appearing as drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero in Narcos: Mexico and as Juan in The Forever Purge.
He also has a wealth of credits to his name in Latin America and Spain, including playing the lead role in all 65 episodes of Blue Demon, which told the story of the titular Mexican professional wrestler and actor, while he has also been nominated five times at the Ariel Awards (considered to be Mexico’s equivalent of the Oscars), winning Best Actor for his role in Días de Gracia in 2012.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now playing in UK cinemas. Check out more of our Film coverage and visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide for more to watch.
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