Black Panther 2's Ryan Coogler opens up on Namor's ankle wings: "You've got to lean into the weird"

Marvel antihero Namor is set to make his MCU debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever next month. Ahead of his introduction, director Ryan Coogler has explained why it was so important to embrace that character's "unique features" in the eagerly anticipated sequel.

"I think with making these types of movies, you've got to lean into the weird stuff, or you risk missing what makes it fun," the filmmaker told Entertainment Weekly, as the studio unveiled a brand spanking new trailer online. "He's got really unique features and things that don't necessarily go together. He can breathe underwater, obviously, but he's got these little wings on his ankles. He's got pointy ears and walks around in his underwear. It's all fun, man."

In the comics, and presumably in the big screen franchise too, Namor is also known as the Sub-Mariner. The mutant son of a human sea captain and an Atlantean princess, he's super strong and possesses aquatic abilities, but he can also fly above water thanks to his Hermes-style wings. Judging by the latest promo, he looks set to threaten Angela Bassett's Queen Ramonda and the rest of her family, as he plots to take over Wakanda and beyond.

"His people do not call him general or king. They call him K'uk'ulkan, the feather serpent god. Killing him will risk eternal war," says M'baku (Winston Duke) in the teaser, while Shuri (Letitia Wright) warns: "He's coming for the surface world."

In addition to giving us a better look at Namor, who'll be played by Tenoch Huerta in the superhero flick, the trailer also offers up a first-look glimpse at teenage tech genius Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) in her Ironheart suit and suggests that Shuri will be the next Black Panther, a theory seemingly supported by the movie's official poster design above. Danai Gurira and Lupita Nyong'o also appear in the footage, as Okoye and Nakia, respectively.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is set to hit theaters on November 11, 2022. For more on the MCU, check out our guides to the Marvel timeline, all the upcoming Marvel movies, and how to watch Marvel movies in order.