There were a lot of announcements today at Hall H for Marvel’s expected Phase Four breakdown. Marvel head Kevin Fiege, with his trademark baseball cap, busted out several of his trademark timelines, and laid out the subsequent two phases in his trademark franchise. Lots of big names up there, including two new Avengers movies and a Fantastic Four. But while we all expected it would culminate with the release of the trailer for the next Marvel movie (and the most anticipated since Endgame), Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, most didn’t expect a certain king of Atlantis to cannonball his way into the MCU.
Namor the Sub-Mariner, one of the prickliest characters in all of Marvel comics, is making his way to one of the studio’s crown jewels: Wakanda.
Thankfully, this isn’t a situation where we have to describe the movie to you because there’s a trailer:
Director Ryan Coogler’s work here is among the most impressive in recent Marvel memory. It looks like he shot on real locations and practical sets, without a hint of the hideous washed-out colors Marvel’s become known for. Lots of bright colors, cool beaches, and blazing fires all over this thing. There’s even a water birth, as if to say, “You want some humanity in these movies? Here’s a little baby butt and umbilical chord.” Hard to argue that—unless of course, it’s a Sub-Mariner being born, and that guy hates humanity because of, well, you know, how we’ve treated nature.
And look at that; there’s even a synopsis:
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 will be the last movie in Marvel’s Phase 4, and will open in theaters on November 11, 2022.