According to new rumors from Marvel CCO Jose Quesada, it looks like the Marvel Cinematic Universe could be adding to their pantheon of available characters with the possible re-inclusion of Namor, the Sub-Mariner.
Speaking with Kevin Smith on the Fat Man on Batman podcast, Quesada mentions that Namor’s film and TV rights are back with Marvel Studios. He joins the Avengers characters like Captain America/Iron Man/Thor, Doctor Strange, the Guardians of the Galaxy and other related cosmic heroes, and now Spider-Man as some of the characters available for the big screen.
But who is Namor the Sub-Mariner? He was created by Bill Everett in 1939 and was one of the first Marvel characters ever to grace the pages of Marvel Comics, then known as Timely Comics. While he is quite similar to DC Comics’ Aquaman character in both origin and powers, Namor did actually arrive two years before Arthur Curry. Namor McKenzie is the child of American sea captain Leonard McKenzie and Fen, the daughter of the Atlantean emperor. His mixed genetics resulted in various powers that set him apart from the blue-skinned Atlanteans and the humans they hid from. Some of these powers include flight, super strength/speed/agility, and invulnerability. He did at one time also control animal life, though that power was soon abandoned, most likely due to the continuing comparisons between Aquaman and Namor.
Namor has been suspiciously absent from the MCU, with rumors and discussions about the iconic Marvel character appearing on the interwebs every few months. We knew from previous discussions with Kevin Feige that Namor’s inclusion in the MCU was being held back due to a number of tricky rights issues. When asked about Namor and Marvel Studios use of the character:
“It’s slightly more complicated than that. Let’s put it this way – there are entanglements that make it less easy. There are older contracts that still involve other parties that mean we need to work things out before we move forward on it. As opposed to an Iron Man or any of the Avengers or any of the other Marvel characters where we could just put them in.”
We’ve seen issues like this before, like with Hulk’s distribution rights at Universal Pictures keeping him out of his own solo film for the foreseeable future. Or of course the recent partnership with Sony that allows Marvel to work with Spider-Man, despite Sony still owning the film rights. And of course we are no stranger to the constant back and forth between Marvel and Fox, who hold the rights to both the X-Men and the Fantastic Four, and all the characters that exist within.
Namor’s film rights were previously held by Universal Studios, along with the Hulk, though it’s unclear if it’s the same type of distribution deal. With the latest news from Quesada it sounds like the rights option may have expired and reverted to Marvel, much like what we’ve seen recently with the return of Daredevil, Blade, and Ghost Rider to Marvel Studios.
Of course we have to touch upon the fact that during the same podcast, when asked about who has Namor’s film rights, Quesada also mentions that “I can’t speak for studios… As far as I know, yeah we do. It’s not at Fox, it’s not at Sony… Yeah.” With Kevin Feige obviously the bigwig at Marvel Studios it stands to reason that Quesada might not be as in the loop with those rights issues as he’s assuming.
But assuming that Namor has returned to Marvel Studios, what does that mean for the MCU? Since Namor is generally considered the first comic anti-hero, the avenues for his introduction are wide-open. He is often represented as both a hero and a villain, depending on the creative team or event he’s appearing in. This means he could show up in the MCU in a number of roles, either working with the heroes we’ve already seen introduced on the big screen, or facing off against them as he tries to protect Atlantis from the continuing threat of the surface world.
As Prince and eventual King of the undersea kingdom of Atlantis, Namor is actually also known as the first mutant of the Marvel universe, though the X-Men villain Apocalypse predates him by a few hundred years. Of course we wouldn’t see Namor’s mutant heritage feature in the MCU, again thanks to sticky rights issues with Fox.
There are a number of great storylines that feature Namor that would make for a great show on the big screen. Unfortunately so many of Namor’s exploits on the surface world center around the Fantastic Four, so those storylines can’t be touched due to Fox’s ownership of the FF. Which means we move on to some of Namor’s other allegiances and allies.
In his earlier villainous days, Namor often teamed up with both Doctor Doom and Magneto, both of whom are with Fox. So that’s out. He’s served with the Avengers before, though his presence is not consistent or defined by his allegiance with the team. He has featured on the Defenders, which in the comics usually consisted of Doctor Strange, Hulk, and Silver Surfer. Of course this team name has been co-opted by the TV department for the upcoming Netflix mini-series featuring the Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist properties.
He was a member of both the modern and present day Invaders alongside Captain America and the first Human Torch – and their sidekicks Bucky and Toro – so it would make sense to see some WWII era flashbacks featuring Namor in the war, which would be a great way to tease the character before any solo film, as Marvel loves to do.
We have yet another team that Namor is involved with, one that is a little more crucial to the developing MCU, though we have yet to see any indication of their presence on the big screen. Known as the Illuminati, Namor joined other leaders of the Marvel Universe like Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Professor Xavier of the X-Men, Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four and Black Bolt of the Inhumans to secretly guide the Marvel Universe and protect the Earth. Long-time Avenger Black Panther was a part of the first meeting of the group, but he left the team almost immediately, seeing the problems with such a gathering early on and placing stress between Black Panther and Namor, which we’ll touch on again soon.
The Illuminati wouldn’t be the last team Namor was a part of that could influence the MCU though, so stay with me here. During a war between the Avengers and the X-Men, five mutants were selected as the hosts of the Phoenix Force, a powerful entity that has plagued the X-Men for years. Possessed with this power, the Phoenix Five set about fixing various plights with the planet, often in controversial ways. This placed them at odds with the Avengers who are hiding out in Wakanda under the protection of the Black Panther.
Controlled by the Phoenix, Namor attacks the nation of Wakanda with the armies of Atlantis and kills thousands of Wakandans, leaving the nation destroyed and Black Panther and Namor at each others throats, continuing the tense relationship between the two kings.
Obviously this is a lot of story that we will never see on the big screen considering the current rights issues between studios, but it does give us a possible entry point for the Avenging Son, Namor. For instance, with Wakanda just being introduced in the MCU it is no stretch of the imagination to see that country already embroiled in a long-standing war with the Atlanteans for some reason. This could bring Namor in to the film as a potential villain, but his connection to the upcoming solo Black Panther film doesn’t stop there.
As we mentioned earlier Namor was a member of the Invaders alongside Captain America and Bucky during World War II. Following the mid-credit scene of Captain America: Civil War, we know that Bucky/Winter Soldier is in Wakanda, frozen until his brainwashing can be fixed and he can no longer be controlled. At this stage, it’s a bit early to throw Namor into the running for a Black Panther cameo, but a lot of the pieces are there.
If not Black Panther, then where could we see Namor make his first appearance? Let’s talk about the final team Namor has been a part of in the recent Marvel Universe – The Cabal. In one of the more recent storylines set before a line-wide relaunch, the heroes of Earth (more specifically the newest iteration of the Illuminati) are tasked with destroying colliding parallel Earths in order to save theirs. Eventually this task proves to be more than the heroes can handle, and Namor takes it upon himself to ally with Thanos and his Black Order, which soon became known as the Cabal.
With the MCU heading towards the inevitable confrontation with Thanos the Mad Titan. we have to wonder what kind of associates we’ll see working with Thanos. We already know he often allies himself with other characters in the MCU, starting with Loki during The Avengers, and continuing with Ronan and Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy. If Thanos’ Black Order/Cabal is introduced, Namor could feature in the upcoming Infinity War films (currently being re-titled) working alongside Thanos. Again, this is a bit of a reach, but it serves to highlight the numerous ways that Namor can fit into the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe as it currently exists.
With all of this being said, we still of course must wait for official confirmation from Feige and Marvel Studios. With rumors of some big Phase 4 news this year we can hopefully expect to have the question of Namor in the MCU answered as the next string of film announcements rolls out from Marvel Studios.
Would you like to see Namor on the big screen in the MCU? Should Marvel push their own aquatic hero out quickly to compete with DC’s upcoming Aquaman film? Which film do you think Namor will appear in first? Let us know in the comments section below or join the discussion on the Grizzlybomb Facebook Page!
Images: Marvel Comics