Posted in: Marvel Studios, Movies | Tagged: black panther 2, black panther: wakanda forever, doctor doom, marvel, movies, namor

Why Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Focuses On Namor Over Doctor Doom

When Black Panther: Wakanda Forever comes out next week, we're getting the first big-screen adaptation of Namor, a character that has been around since 1939. However, some fans were expecting another major Marvel villain to make his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in this movie, and that is Doctor Doom. The character has been on the big screen twice since the early 2000s, and neither of the adaptations is exactly well-liked. When it came to choosing which villain would be the antagonist in Wakanda Forever, Ryan Coogler recently explained to the Toronto Sun (via CBR) that the lack of previous adaptations was one of the reasons he chose to bring in Namor over Doctor Doom.

"[Doom is] an incredible character in publishing," the director said. "He's one of the big ones. Unlike Namor, [there have] been several different representations of him in film. So I think that's what excited me the most about Namor, was that there hadn't been any representations. You didn't have any baggage of any other actors or any other performances or any other movie; it was just publishing for Namor. I think Doom is a little different. But man, what an incredible character."

No matter when someone introduces a character like Doctor Doom, whether it is this movie or something well down the line, it will be a character that people will keep an eye on. Fans have felt so let down by the previous big-screen adaptations, so it isn't surprising that there would be a lot of pressure on whoever decides to adapt the character for the MCU. As for Coogler, there was already enough riding on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever without putting the weight of fan expectations on it too.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Cast, Summary, Release Date

Cast: Letitia Wright (Shuri), Lupita Nyong'o (Nakia), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Winston Duke (M'Baku), Florence Kasumba (Ayo), Dominique Thorne (Riri Williams), Michaela Coel (Aneka), Mabel Cadena (Namora), Alex Livinalli (Attuma), Tenoch Huerta (Namor), Martin Freeman (Everett Ross), Angela Bassett (Queen Ramonda).

In Marvel Studios' Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M'Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira), and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba) fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T'Challa's death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda. Introducing Tenoch Huerta as Namor, king of a hidden undersea nation, the film also stars Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Mabel Cadena, and Alex Livanalli. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, directed by Ryan Coogler and produced by Kevin Feige and Nate Moore, opens in U.S. theaters on November 11, 2022.

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