Tenoch Huerta confirms that Namor will be an anti-hero in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The Ryan Coogler-directed sequel will be the final movie in Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is not only set to introduce the new Black Panther after the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman, but will also further develop the existence of mutants in the MCU after they were briefly hinted at during the season finale of Ms. Marvel.
The MCU's next mutant is Namor himself, as Huerta himself confirmed that aspect of the character is carrying over from the comics. However, how the movie will treat him as such, and further plant the seeds of mutants in the MCU before their big introduction, remains to be seen. And, while it's known that Namor will be an enemy of Wakanda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, it is still unclear if the character will be the film's main antagonist, or someone who has been forcefully working for someone else pulling the strings.
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Now, Huerta may have an answer as to what type of character he is playing. In an interview with Empire (via The Direct), Huerta explains that Namor is an anti-hero in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The actor contextualizes that Latin Americans are always portrayed as the villains in American movies, before saying he is happy to see that Namor will not be that, but an anti-hero. Check out what he says below:
Latin-Americans are always the bad guys in Hollywood movies. And now we are the heroes – or an anti-hero, in this instance… we [Latin-Americans] are making something to be proud of in Hollywood.
Could Black Panther 2's Namor Be The Next Killmonger?
As mentioned above, Huerta believes that Namor is an anti-hero. This falls in line with previous Black Panther antagonist Killmonger, who wasn't a purely "bad guy" either. Coogler's film painted him as somewhat of an anti-hero by showing his perspective and motivations before he fought T'Challa in the final act of the movie. And even when he was ultimately killed, the character redeemed himself in his final few moments as he died watching the Wakandan sunset.
And from the looks of Huerta's quote, it looks like Namor could very well be the next Killmonger. He may not be the primary antagonist, but could very well be Wakanda's main threat for this installment. The bigger villain may be revealed during one of the film's post-credit scenes. Just how much of an anti-hero Namor is will become clear when Black Panther: Wakanda Forever releases in theaters on November 11.