Why Tenoch Huerta's Submariner Namor Role in Wakanda Forever is Significant
Posted by Onassis Krown on
How Black PantherĀ 2Ā Got it Right on Namor's Background Story

Who is Actor That Plays Namor in Wakanda Forever?
Huerta, who is of Indigenous heritage, plays the mutant leader of a kingdom based on Mayan and Aztec influences, which has thrived beneath the ocean for centuries.
Huerta, whom audiences may know from his roles in the Netflix series āNarcos: Mexicoā and the movie āThe Forever Purge,ā told NBC News that the new film is a big step for diversity in Latino culture.
āIn Latin America, especially Mexico, we have a lack of representation,ā he said. TV in Mexico looks ālike a Scandinavian country,ā he said, adding that āall the peopleā are white on TV or in the ads one sees on the street.
When a company like Marvel Studios ā and its parent company Disney ā tell a diverse superhero story that focuses primarily on Black and Indigenous characters from East Africa and Mesoamerica ā which stretches from modern-day south-central Mexico to Costa Rica ā it shows āthe rest of the world that representation matters,ā Huerta said.
What is Meaning of Namor's Real Birth Name?
On screen, Huerta plays Namor,Ā one of Marvelās oldest characters, a mutant with pointed ears, winged ankles and superhuman strength that can rival the might of other larger-than-life Marvel characters like Thor.
āWhen they decide to give this background to Namor, you know, this new background ā Mesoamerican culture, especially Mayan culture ā I think they nailed it,ā Huerta said. āBecause itās the right moment to do it in a way, on one hand, and on the other hand, itās important for many people, especially kids.Ā Itās a way to say, āEh, thereās nothing wrong on you. You should be proud of who you are. And the melanin in your skin ... itās OK and itās beautiful.āā
Talokan's story begins in the 16th century, when an unidentified Mesoamerican community ingests a plant that grew in vibranium-rich soil. According to this communityās shaman, the plant could save them all from the wrath of Spanish colonizers. What the plant does, however, is change the peopleās morphology, giving them gills, enhanced strength and durability, and the ability to communicate with underwater creatures. So the whole community decides to leave the surface world for good, going to the oceans and building the underwater city that would become Talokan.
Namor was still in his motherās belly when she ingested the unique plant. As a result, Namor became a mutant, coming to life with powers more extraordinary than any Talokanil. Namor doesnāt get blue if he leaves the water, can still absorb oxygen from the air, has extended longevity, and has feathered wings on his heels that allow him to fly. Thatās why, at birth, Namor is named Kāukāulkan, the Feathered Serpent God, a Mesoamerican divinity that can both crawl with its people and roam the skies. Kāukāulkanās birth is interpreted as a sign by the Talokanils, and the young boy is chosen to lead his people for many centuries.
Some fans may connect with Namorās vulnerabilities as an outsider caught between two worlds ā the surface one that belongs to humans and Talokan, the underwater kingdom created by his Indigenous people.Ā Talokan is influenced by the Aztec paradise TlÄlÅcÄn, which is ruled by the Aztec rain god TlÄlÅc.
In many ways, Talokan is the mirror image of Wakanda on the surface. Both are powerful kingdoms that have flourished in secrecy. Both are the only known sources on the planet for the fictional metal vibranium, which has an extraordinary ability to absorb, store and release kinetic energy. And both are acutely aware of the racial injustices that have marginalized other diverse peoples in the outside world. But while Wakanda was never colonized, Talokan was created as a refuge by Indigenous survivors who escaped from the horrors of Spanish colonization in YucatÔn, Mexico.
The first Black Panther movie was a groundbreaking blockbuster in 2018 that not only focused primarily on Black characters, but also proved that mainstream audiences wanted to see more diversity in film.Ā As Huerta said, āEconomically, it works as well.ā
āBlack PantherāĀ grossed almost $1.35 billion worldwide, with 52% of that box office (just over $700 million) earned in the U.S. This adds up to nearly half of the box office brought in by the top-grossing superhero film, āAvengers: Endgame,ā (almost $2.8 billion worldwide). āBlack Pantherā narrowly beat mainstream classics like āStar Wars: Episode VIII ā The Last Jediā (just over $1.33 billion), āFrozenā (nearly $1.31 billion) and āThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the Kingā (just under $1.15 billion).
āBlack Panther: Wakanda Foreverā pits both kingdoms āĀ Wakanda and Talokan ā against each other as the outside world plots to tap into their exclusive reserves of vibranium.
But Huerta hopes that the proud stories of ābrown and Blackā peoples will inspire viewers to come together.
āSpecially right now, we need to identify with each other and embrace each other,ā he said. āYou know, just keep going.ā
- Tags: aztec, marvel, mayan, mcu, namor, submariner, Tenoch Huerta, wakanda forever
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