Black Panther: Wakanda Forever director Ryan Coogler knows exactly what makes Namor the Sub-Mariner stand out among Black Panther‘s rogues’ gallery.
Marvel Entertainment has released an official excerpt from the new hardcover book Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Official Movie Special. In the book, Coogler explains why he and his collaborators chose the anti-hero Namor as the Black Panther sequel’s primary antagonist. “We’re really excited to portray this character in the film. Comic book fans will know him; he’s one of the oldest Marvel characters [first introduced in 1939, when Marvel Comics was still known as Timely Comics]. His very appearance shows that Wakanda is not safe as it thought it was,” the director said.
“In the comics, Black Panther has a really fun rogues’ gallery,” Coogler continued. “He has conflicts with Ulysses Klaue, Erik Killmonger, Dr. Doom, Kraven the Hunter, the X-Men, and many others. But the conflicts he has with Namor are the ones that stick in your head. These tended to be the most complex and are the most fun, with the greatest lines of dialogue. In the first Black Panther film, T’Challa tells Klaue, ‘Every breath you take is mercy from me.’ But actually, in the comics, Black Panther said that to Namor. These characters had so much in common and for some reason just despised each other.”
Wakanda Forever opened in theaters last November. The Marvel Cinematic Universe film takes place following the death of King T’Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman). Wakanda soon faces a new threat in the form of Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejía) — ruler of the vibranium-rich, underwater kingdom of Talokan. In turn, Shuri (Letitia Wright) must rise to the occasion and take her older brother’s place as the Black Panther.
What’s in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Official Movie Special?
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Official Movie Special is available as of today, October 31. Per its official synopsis, the 96-page deluxe hardcover offers a “behind-the-scenes look at Marvel Studios‘ film” — complete with “interviews, art and photos.”
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Official Movie Special is on sale now from Titan Magazines.
