The only time in the movie that Namor can be specifically identified as a bad guy is when he admits, in only one scene, that his plan is to convince Wakanda to join him in a fight against all the other nations on Earth as vengeance for the way they've mistreated them and their people.
He's the ruler of Atlantis and fights with fervor for his people. But Namor isn't a natural do-gooder like Cap. His temper and arrogance make him more of an anti-hero who has no qualms about destroying anything that gets in the way of his goals.
The Attack on the Golden City was Namor's retaliation against Wakanda for killing two of the Talokanil. The attack was swift and drastic, drowning a great portion of the Golden City and rendering it uninhabitable for some time.
Namor returns to Talokan defeated, much to the disgust of his wife, Zamora. But Namor shows his cunning: Now that the two countries have formed an alliance, the conflict with the surface world that he desires is surely inevitable. In the meantime, Wakanda returns to normal. Shuri plants the new heart-shaped herb.
However, unlike many of his villainous predecessors, Namor survives to the end credits, and even sets up a fragile peace with Wakanda, which sets him up as a potential ally, rather than antagonist in future movies.
Black Panther 3 Announcement Breakdown - The New T’Challa Returns
Why did Shuri let Namor live?
Before Shuri can land the final blow, she sees Ramonda in the Ancestral Plane. "Show him who you are," Ramonda says. Shuri then tells Namor to yield, as vengeance has consumed them – it can't consume their people too.
He has been both an ally and an enemy to the heroes. He is one of the first comic book antiheroes, and his status as the first Marvel character has made him an appealing one for adaptation." Matt Wood of CinemaBlend included Namor in their "5 Marvel Villains We'd Love To See In Black Panther 2" list.
The MCU has had great couples in the past, and they've told love stories within superhero films before. But ultimately, while there was clear chemistry between Shuri and Namor, it was for the best that Marvel Studios decided to do without their potential love line.
The daughter of Wakanda's Black Panther T'Chaka and his second wife Ramonda, Shuri is descended from the royal line along with her brother T'Challa. She is close with high-ranking officials Zuri and W'Kabi, as well as her uncle S'Yan. Shuri also takes a shine to her sister-in-law Storm while she was wed to T'Challa.
Loosely translated from Latin, it means "Empire King." As such, the line serves as a dynamic reference to the anti-hero's comics origins while also giving him an epic counter to the classic Wakandan phrase in the MCU. Related: Black Panther 2's MCU Timeline: How Long After Endgame Is It Set?
With the Avengers defeated they retreat to T'Challa's homeland of Wakanda and Namor decides that since the African nation is harboring enemies of mutantkind, it was necessary for Atlantis to invade. This invasion devastates Wakanda and also marks the beginning of T'Challa's rivalry with Namor.
The leader of Atlantis unleashed a massive tidal wave on the country that killed countless people. Soon after, Namor lost his part of the Phoenix Force, and T'Challa made it clear he would never forgive the transgression.
What are his goals? Namor tells Shuri that his ultimate goal is to protect his people, saying he wants to form an alliance with Wakanda to overthrow the nations on land because they pose a threat to Talokun.
The truce between Wakanda and Talokan in the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ending explained by Namor hints at his next moves. During the final battle, Shuri is able to lure Namor away from his water power source long enough to defeat him.
Namor and Aquaman have had instances of immense power in their respective comics, but Namor has the edge. Marvel's King of Atlantis has made Hercules bleed, held his own against the Avengers, and almost destroyed Wakanda with a devastating tidal wave.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever appears to position Namor the Sub-Mariner as the god Kukulkán, but he could actually be a mutant instead. There's a sense that the MCU's Phase 4 has principally been about a single concept: expansion.
When Wakanda is attacked by the Cabal during the "Time Runs Out" storyline, Shuri sacrifices herself by staying behind to hold off Proxima Midnight so T'Challa can escape. Her death is later confirmed when her spirit is seen among those of the past Black Panthers.
Despite Shuri's best efforts, Ramonda was next to T'Challa as he passed away. Shuri hastily rushed to bring a completed recreation of the herb to her brother, though Ramonda, who had entered the lab, despairingly confirmed his passing. Ramonda then took his place as the queen of Wakanda.
Namor accepts and his warriors retreat. With that diplomatic resolution, Shuri forfeits her claim to the throne by declining the expectant succession duel and allowing M'Baku to attend for his own claim unopposed by herself.
Imperius Rex. Namor has made several fierce allies during the many years he has been in action. The Atlantean royal lady Dorma is Namor's first and greatest love.
Even in his rage against the surface world, Namor found someone that he wanted. He became infatuated with Susan Storm, now known as Susan Richards, the Invisible Woman.
Though his successor, Shuri, eventually managed to defeat Namor, T'Challa likely would have had the battle better in hand than his sister did. T'Challa was ultimately more experienced than Shuri, giving him an extra edge in battle, even against the likes of Namor.
In the end, as Iron Man proved, Namor's biggest weakness can be exposed with pollution. Not only does polluting the ocean send the Sub-Mariner into an immediate fight-or-flight mode, but it also impacts his physiology as he draws his strength from the sea.
