Because characters like Namor and Ironheart are now a part of the narrative, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is still hailed as one of the MCU’s most successful sequels. Nonetheless, fresh concept art affirms that the respective characters played by Dominique Thorne and Tenoch Huerta were intended to have more prominent roles in the movie. Concept artist Phil Saunders shares brand-new Wakanda Forever pictures on Instagram, with deleted scenarios that emphasize Namor and Ironheart. One series of photos shows Namor riding an orca among the rest of his Talokan army; this image was later turned into a Funko Pop, although it was not used in the finished version of the movie. Saunders also described Namor’s first outfit concept, which was created before Huerta was chosen. Before Tenoch Huerta was chosen for the part, Saunders said that she created a composite look for Namor based on a combination of Javier Bardem and Gael Garcia Bernal. To explore how far I could go without losing the ethnicity, I experimented with a tiny bit of Namor’s traditional widow’s peak.
Another collection of images displays Ironheart’s look and verifies the cut sequences that see the character engaging Namor in an underwater battle. According to Saunders, the original screenplay planned for Namora and Riri Williams to engage in a protracted underwater combat. It was unavoidably trimmed to put Shuri and Namor front and center, but it allowed me to create some dramatic scenes. Saunders also disclosed that he drew inspiration for the underwater sequences from James Bond films. Wakanda Forever was enhanced with the arrival of Namor, the Talokan ruler who invaded Wakanda out of concern for his people’s safety after King T’Challa’s (Chadwick Boseman) shocking disclosures at the conclusion of Black Panther. After slaying T’Challa’s mother, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), and facing Shuri (Letitia Wright) in a fight to the death, the character rose to the position of chief public adversary in Wakanda. Nevertheless, they ultimately put aside their differences to face shared adversaries. But Namor’s MCU future is uncertain because Huerta was charged with sexual assault in June of last year by activist and singer Maria Elena Ríos. Though it is unknown if he will be in Avengers 5, he is scheduled to appear. In the meanwhile, Thorne will return to the role of Ironheart in the Disney+ series of the same name. Originally scheduled to debut in 2023, the show has experienced many release delays. Marvel said Ironheart would hit theaters in 2025 during a Disney Upfront event earlier this month. The teaser film for the series has not yet been given to the public.
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