Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has been in theaters now for about two weeks where it’s been winning the box office and winning over both fans and critics alike as the follow up to 2016’s Black Panther not only closes out Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe but moves forward the Black Panther franchise as well. A major component of both of those aspects of the film is the introduction of Namor (Tenoch Huerta), the leader of Talokan, an undersea nation that just so happens to have Vibranium like Wakanda. In the film, Namor is positioned as a threat to Wakanda and more broadly the rest of the world, but while many are labeling Namor the “villain” of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, that’s an incorrect assessment. While Namor is very much an antagonist, the true villain isn’t the leader of the Talokan at all. It’s colonialism and the western world’s desire to exert power and control in the name of resources.
