Avengers: Endgame did comprise a Namor the Sub-Mariner tease, and it’s been validated as intentional, what does the reference imply for Black Panther two? Black Widow’s market with Okoye (Dania Gurira) early on in the movie could hold a fantastic deal of meaning for the narrative of this highly expected Black Panther sequel, given that the tease was especially associated with Wakanda.
With a global box office haul of $1.3 billion, 2018’s Black Panther was a record-breaking film for Marvel Studios, therefore that there was little doubt that a sequel would be produced. In SDCC 2019, Black Panther two was officially confirmed to be in development with Ryan Coogler, who helmed the first movie, returning to direct. The movie is scheduled for a May 2022 release, and even though virtually every other film on Marvel’s slate has been pushed right back, Black Panther 2 kept its launch.
As for what its story will entail, Marvel is maintaining this information. Who Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) will fight is also a secret. As Black Panther does not have the rich rogues’ gallery of villains shared by personalities such as Spider-Man, it seems highly possible that Black Panther 2 may borrow from the pages of a different hero’s comic strip, or it could feature a significant comic book character with connections to Panther, such as Namor the Sub-Mariner. Even more of an anti-hero compared to a full-size supervillain, Namor does have a history of being an antagonist, as well as among the most well-known Marvel characters who have yet to appear on the large screen, he is Marvel’s option for Black Panther 2’s villain.
Avengers: Endgame’s Namor Reference Explained
At the first half Avengers: Endgame, Black Widow (Scarlet Johansson) is checking with the other figures who are continuing operations across the planet (along with the galaxy) when Okoye interjects that underwater earthquakes have been happening off the coast of Africa, but she does not elaborate any further. Natasha asks Okoye how Wakanda will deal with this matter, to which Okoye answers, “It is an earthquake under the ocean. We manage it by not managing it.” Immediately, fans took this comment as a reference to Namor the Sub-Mariner along with the realm of Atlantis and an indication that the Avenging Son could eventually be on his way into the MCU.
Afterward, Endgame writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely poured cold water on this concept in a meeting when Markus stated, “I wish we were smart”. But during a recent watch party for Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, interest at the lineup and what it meant for the MCU reignited when a fan asked on Twitter in case the reference to Namor was intentional. This time, Markus responded and stated, “Sometimes, you plant seeds. From time to time, they grow.” In other words, the authors did indeed imply drawing attention to Namor and Atlantis, however the reason they waited so long to acknowledge it’s unclear (or perhaps they are simply leaning into the fact that fans have rallied around the Namor tease). Including the line doesn’t necessarily mean it will be ever expanded on by Marvel, but it did build the groundwork in case Namor does be introduced by Marvel.
What Wakanda’s Relationship With Atlantis Could Be
If Okoye was speaking about Atlantis, what exactly does Okoye’s response to Natasha’s question say about Wakanda’s connection with Atlantis? Whatever is going on in Atlantis, Wakanda does not have any intention of getting involved. It would seem that Wakanda is mindful of Atlantis, however, the two kingdoms are staying out of the affairs of each other. This would imply that relationships between them are strained or nonexistent. Based on what is known in the comics, this is logical. For years, Atlantis and Wakanda tolerated each other, but difficulties between them go all of the ways back into the webpages of The Defenders in the 1970s when Wakanda mistakenly launched missiles at Atlantis. Namor prevented an all-out war by intercepting the missiles, but the tensions between them have never gone away. In reality, they have worsened by other diplomatic incidents and conflicts between Black Panther and Namor. And in the past several years, a war erupted between them.
What Avengers: Endgame’s Underwater Earthquakes Could Mean
What could be causing the submerged earthquakes mentioned in Avengers: Endgame? Since they started happening in the aftermath of the snap-in Avengers: Infinity War, they’re likely associated with it in 1 manner or another. It might be that the breeze has thrown Atlantis. If half of the population was abruptly decimated by an unknown event, it could have resulted in a war if the people in power were one of those taken out by the snap. Namor himself – or whoever Atlantis’ current ruler is – could have been erased from existence by Thanos (Josh Brolin).
Weakened from the snap, Atlantis’ authorities could have become more prone to some rebellion. From the comic books, Namor sometimes does deal with the factions of Atlanteans that are not governed by him, such as his or her people and Attuma. It is certainly understandable that such an unexpected catastrophe could have threatened the power structure in Atlantis. Therefore a war between two groups of Atlanteans may have been what led to the disturbances.
How Avengers: Endgame’s Namor Reference Could Set Up Black Panther 2
Avengers: Endgame’s Namor reference might function as a setup for Black Panther 2 if Marvel is thinking about utilizing the Avenging Son as its villain. This tease claims about Atlantis is that the two kingdoms have a history, and that could become involved within the movie. As for the earthquakes, what had been happening in Atlantis – if it is another episode of war – could lead to something huge, particularly if someone new took power over the realm.
Thanos’ snap changed for everyone in the universe, so there’s no reason it wouldn’t have experienced an impact on Atlantis. Having their population erased by events that took place on the surface may have altered their perspective on the world, as well. Atlantis may determine that humanity presents an issue that has to be eliminated (or controlled), and so, Atlantis’ isolation might soon end should they opt to take action. So connections between Atlantis and Wakanda can go from bad to worse in Black Panther two if that’s a path Marvel chooses to take. And when Namor is the antagonist, it will be interesting to find out just what pushes his crusade from Wakanda.
