Today saw the release of the latest trailer for Marvel Studios’ highly-anticipated film, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” The latest entry in the MCU not only marks the end of Phase 4 of the franchise, but the film also serves as a redefining moment for “Black Panther” and the film series’ future. On top of all of that, it also gives fans the best look yet at the villain, Namor… and his little winged ankles.
In a trailer breakdown on EW, writer-director Ryan Coogler talked about his inspiration for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and why he leaned into the more weird parts of Marvel lore when creating the film version of Namor.
Obviously, the biggest questions surrounding ‘Wakanda Forever’ is how the film will handle the real-life death of Chadwick Boseman and the in-film death of King T’Challa. Coogler explained that he was able to bridge that gap and craft a meaningful, exciting story.
“I had to find a way that I felt like I could keep going and a way that our ‘Black Panther’ family could keep going,” Coogler said. “I started to come up with a film that had elements of the film that we had just finished writing, but also applied the themes that the people who were hurting just as much as me could actually perform and execute and come out on the other side whole.”
But as mentioned above, this isn’t just a film that features the characters we know and love from the first “Black Panther” film. The sequel also introduces Namor and his underwater kingdom. And while a large part of Namor’s backstory has been changed for his debut in the MCU, Coogler felt it was important to include some of the strange parts about the characters design, namely his winged ankles, pointy ears, and his penchant for only wearing underwear.
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“I think with making these types of movies, you’ve got to lean into the weird stuff, or you risk missing what makes it fun,” the filmmaker explained. “[Namor’s] got really unique features and things that don’t necessarily go together. He can breathe underwater, obviously, but he’s got these little wings on his ankles. He’s got pointy ears and walks around in his underwear. It’s all fun, man.”
How will the emotional story of T’Challa’s death mix with the invasion from Namor? We’ll find out when “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” debuts on November 11.