Black Panther: Wakanda Forever introduces Namor and the Talokans to the world of the MCU. And according to the latest reports, even the late King T’Challa actor Chadwick Boseman was enthusiastic about the introduction of the submariner. There’s no denying that the MCU does a pretty good job of weaving together the world and culture of the underwater kingdom. Audiences were mesmerized when the Atlantis-esque realm was first shown.
According to the film’s director Ryan Coogler, Chadwick Boseman had been enthusiastic about the idea of the Talokan from the day he heard about it. This adds another emotional layer to the film as fans never knew how the dynamic would have played out if the film featured King T’Challa versus Namor.
Chadwick Boseman was looking forward to Talokan’s introduction
Read also: “They took us to his grave”: black panther 2 Star Winston Duke Reveals Marvel Honored Chadwick Boseman by Letting Them Visit His Grave and Say Their Final Goodbyes
Chadwick Boseman sadly passed away in 2020 while battling colon cancer. Following which, 2018’s Ryan Coogler sequel had the daunting task of bringing justice to the late King T’Challa. While the movie is quite successful in that regard, it’s also very good at showing off the brand new kingdom and culture of the Talokans in the MCU.
Based on the long-lost kingdom of Aztec legend, Talokan is an underwater kingdom very similar to Wakanda with its own rich culture and heritage. The kingdom ruled by Namor is one of the film’s many visual extravaganzas.
According to director Ryan Coogler, when Chadwick Boseman first heard about his projects, he was very excited about this indigenous portrayal. According to the director’s statements in EW’s Around the Table series:
“It was something that fired him up. I remember we were at a restaurant in Los Feliz the first time we talked about possibly having Native American representation in the movie. He had the biggest smile, like, ‘They’ll never see this coming. That’s awesome.’”
But unfortunately, Boseman never read the first drafts of the film’s script. It was later understood by Coogler that this was due to his deteriorating health.
Also read: “It’s better if I can read it later”: black panther 2 Director Ryan Coogler reveals why Chadwick Boseman refused to read his original script
The rest of the article contains Black Panther 2 spoilers.
Namor and Talokan in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever really did an incredible job of infusing Mexican culture into the MCU. When the MCU announced the switch from the Atlantis kingdom to the Aztec-based Talokan civilization, many fans complained. But somewhat contradictorily, civilization and Tenoch Huerta’s performance as Namor shines throughout the film.
The very first introduction to the kingdom with a track titled With La Brisa playing in the background gives a fantastic and realistic look at Talokan. Even the people of the tribe and their styles were a tribute to ancient civilization and the details are extremely commendable.
Also read: “We wanted our own version of Wakanda Forever”: black panther 2 Star Explains Talokan’s Iconic Hand Gesture, Reveals Its Rich Historical Significance
Now, we can fully understand why Chadwick Boseman was so excited about Talokan. With Namor’s character showing positive change at the end of the film, it will be exciting to see more of him in the MCU. And according to producer Nate Moore, we may learn more about the Talokans in the years to come and it will also determine whether or not they take the side of the world’s mightiest heroes.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is playing in theaters near you.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
