Director Ryan Coogler is returning with the Black Panther sequel which is hitting the theatres very soon. Along with him, he is bringing a tribute to late actor Chadwick Boseman, an incredible storyline, and a handful of new characters into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including Namor.
Actor Tenoch Huerta will be taking on the challenging character of Namor who is the antagonist of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. While Namor was initially supposed to be the Prince of Atlantis, as seen in the comics, Ryan Coogler had other plans for the character. In a recent interview, he revealed why the Prince of Atlantis will now be seen as the Ruler of Talocan instead.
Why Ryan Coogler Made Namor the Ruler of Talocan
In a recent interview with super fans, Black Panther director Ryan Coogler opened up about why he thought Aztec Talocan would be a better choice for his movie, instead of the incredibly famous Atlantis. Coogler wanted to go in a different direction, one which did not follow the steps of mainstream media. While he wanted to make the best movie possible, he also wanted to give the fans something they haven’t seen before.
“Just as much as we wanted to be the best movie that we can be, we also know our place in the landscape. We wanna service the fans and make sure they‘re getting a full buffet of different options. We don’t wanna give them the same thing twice.”
He further stated that by now the fictional world has been colonized by the Greco-Roman idea of Atlantis. In his quest of making Wakanda Forever a unique movie and giving Namor a fresher kingdom, Coogler decided that he would not be going ahead with the same old idea of Atlantis.
“In the spirit of our films conversation with the idea of colonization we said ‘Hey, maybe this Greco-Roman idea has had enough exposure – this idea of Atlantis being Plato’s Atlantis. There are other stories and other cultures about islands that have submerged or continents that are hidden.”
Coogler’s determination to introduce something fresh to the audience is quite commendable as Marvel has always relied heavily on creative thinking to maintain the original fan base even after all these years. The Creed director is right to look for inspiration elsewhere as this makes watching the movie even more of an enjoyable experience. Viewers will certainly be gripped for the entirety of the movie as it looks like Coogler left no stone unturned to make Wakanda Forever the next best Marvel movie.
The Mythical Aztec Paradise – Talocan
While Wakanda is vulnerable after T’Challa’s passing, enemies are lurking just around the corner, including Namor the Ruler of Talocan. Since this mysterious world hasn’t been quite heard of as of yet, fans might be confused as to what to expect. Talocan is said to be a place that poses as the final abode of people who passed away due to lightning or drowning. The rain deity, Tlaloc is in charge of all affairs at Talocan.
While the humans of the MCU haven’t had an encounter with the people of the underwater world, Wakandans have always been a step or two ahead. It won’t be shocking if it is revealed that the two communities have had a past. In a Marvel crossover comic Infinity, Shuri donned the Black Panther suit to take revenge on Namor. After seeing a mysterious female Black Panther in Wakanda Forever’s trailer, the possibility of this happening cannot be ruled out.
Ryan Coogler has made sure that the upcoming movie not only breaks records at the box office but also goes back with the viewers. Incorporating the Aztec lore into the film guarantees an increased interest in the superhero genre. Looking at how the recent projects have been performing, maybe this is just what the MCU needs.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be released in theatres on November 11, 2022.
Source: Youtube
