Marvel fans seem to be rooting for Namor over Mr. Fantastic after a newly released image shows off the character's appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As the MCU moves farther away from the Infinity Saga, the franchise is expanding far past the original six Avengers' stories. Phase 4 introduced a slew of Marvel Comics characters, including the leader of the Fantastic Four, Mr. Fantastic. Portrayed by The Office's John Krasinski, the Earth-838 variant of Reed Richards appeared briefly in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness before his savage murder. Although the character has yet to be cast for Marvel's Fantastic Four movie, Mr. Fantastic's brief cameo built anticipation for another Marvel mainstay to enter the MCU: Reed Richard's long-time romantic rival, Namor.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY
Namor will make his MCU debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Mexican actor Tenoch Huerta will portray the mutant king, but the MCU's adaptation will feature some key differences from Namor's comic book origins. Instead of Atlantis, Namor will rule the underwater city of Talocan, inspired by Mesoamerican cultures. Likewise, the designs of Namor and his people have also been adjusted to reflect the change. As anticipation for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever builds, a new image of Namor was released that has caused a lot of excitement among MCU fans.
The new image gives Marvel fans the clearest look at Huerta's Namor yet, and it's clear that fans love the way he looks based on their hilarious online responses. Many fans shared their love for Namor's live-action depiction, pitying the MCU's Reed Richards for trying to compete because apparently he's already lost. Check out some of the hilarious responses below:
Namor and Mr. Fantastic's Comic Book Ties Explained
Namor and Mr. Fantastic's longstanding rivalry goes back all the way to the 1960s. In one of their early comics, the Fantastic Four were tasked with defeating Namor after he swore vengeance on the surface world for the negligent destruction of Atlantis. It was during this fight that Namor first saw Sue Storm and developed a crush on her, creating an odd love triangle between him, the Invisible Woman, and Mr. Fantastic. Of course, despite Namor's persistent attempts to either tempt or kidnap Sue into being his bride and Sue's begrudging but genuine affection for the Atlantean Prince, the Invisible Woman and Mr. Fantastic's love always won.
At this point, it's not clear whether the MCU will include Namor and Mr. Fantastic's feud in the movies because there's just not enough information about either character yet. Until Marvel's Fantastic Four cast is announced or Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is released, there's no telling what direction the two rivals will go in or if they'll meet. Still, it seems the MCU is keeping Namor's comic-accurate good looks, so Reed Richards may still need to up his game. It would certainly make for a unique story.