by revealed that draws attention to a previously little-noticed relationship between Tenoch Huerta’s Namor and Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger.
When the first movie was published, the adversary, also known as Eric Stevens or N’ Jadaka, swiftly rose to the top of the MCU’s rogues gallery for most lauded antagonists. Wakanda Forever had a lot to live up to as a result when it came to a sequel.
Fortunately, it seems like they succeeded, since has received high appreciation for his portrayal of Talokan, the new undersea nation that the film introduces.
But many were unaware that Namor and Killmonger had more in common than simply being A-list villains.
The Relationship Between Namor and Killmonger
Production designer Hannah Beachler spoke in-depth about a significant relationship to both Namor and Killmonger during her appearance on Wakanda Forever: The Official Black Panther Podcast.
Beachler emphasised how MCU adversary Ryan Coogler gave both of them “many names” to emphasise their sense of alienation:
“Ryan [Coogler] has this great way when it comes to villains of giving them many names, especially when you’re talking about Indigenous people, because one way, I think, he felt that they keep you in a place, is they never let you settle with a name. That’s why Killmonger had many names. And that’s why Namor has so many names as well. But to his people, he’s Ku’kul’kan…”
She continued by mentioning several amusing movie-related facts about Namor, such as how he “put the sun and the moon on the doors of his throne room:”
“So, we put the sun and the moon on the doors of his throne room, so we tell the story of the sun and the moon, we tell the story of the establishment of Talokan, all in hieroglyphs which we can now all read. And as well as in his memorabilia room, which you’ll see the spirit god as well in there that he talks about a little bit.”
In Mayan tradition, Namor “is part of all three [realms of the underworld],” according to Beachler:
“We designed the mural tree of the Calabash in that story, so it goes so deep with the three realms of the underworld, the middle realm, the upper realm, which Namor is part of all three of them, because he can breathe underwater, he can walk on land, and he can fly in the sky, so he’s part of all three of the Maya realms. And I just didn’t stop, ever. Because it was so important to me that when… just as I wanted a young African-American or a young Black girl or boy that, in throughout the diaspora, to look at the first Black Panther and feel a sense of pride before we learn about pain.”
Designing for the movie was greatly impacted by the designer’s philosophy, which she described as being a “big advocate of teaching our children pride before they learn about pain,” particularly when it came to Namor:
“I’m really a big advocate of teaching our children pride before they learn about pain. There’s plenty of time for that. I wanted the same for any child of Mexico, any Latino child to understand, boy and girl, and be proud of the beauty of that culture that went through a lot of the destruction that the African culture did when it came to the United States, or was trafficked here to the United States. So, I took that really personally. And it was a heavy, heavy responsibility in weight.”
She felt strongly about the team “[wasn’t] appropriating or mis-telling the story:”
“It just was really serious to me that this was right and that we weren’t appropriating or mis-telling the story, and I wanted to break down the truth. I wanted to get to it, which nobody really knows, and use my knowledge to create something that was spurred from that, which was Talokan as far as what you see in design and environment.”
Which Black Panther antagonist will next make a connection?
Even while the relationship might not be the most obvious, Coogler focused on it because it is an important and significant nuance.
From another angle, the many names—many of which aren’t the simplest to include naturally—are also the finest method to connect the plot to those famous comic book titles.
If Coogler does not work with Marvel Studios again on a third Black Panther movie, who may Coogler take on next?
Doctor Doom, the leader of the fictitious country of Latveria, is one logical response. He even has a variety of monikers to select from, like God Doom, Victor Von Doom, and Infamous Iron Man.
Sekhet, the Lion God, also known as Lady of Slaughter, would be another entertaining choice.
When it comes time to produce the next movie, Coogler will no sure dazzle since he has already proven he can create fantastic antagonists. He might be able to use some of his skill to Avengers: Secret Wars.
On May 1, 2026, Avengers: Secret Wars premieres in cinemas.
