Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will continue and honor the legacy of Chadwick Boseman, and promises to usher in new elements to the Marvel Cinematic Universe: but there’s a divergence from lore that has fans in an uproar.
Tenoch Huerta will play the first live-action version of Namor the Sub-Mariner, a character who first appeared in comics 83 years ago. Namor, in the comics, is the ruler of the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, but this has been changed for Wakanda Forever — with the antihero now the head of state for Talocan.
Why is Atlantis not Namor’s home in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever?
Here’s a in-depth explanation into the history of Atlantis, Atlantis in comics, and why it’s been changed for Black Panther 2.
History
Atlantis, as a concept, was invented by Plato as a metaphor not too dissimilar to the concept involving a state of constant war to keep the masses at bay, as seen in George Orwell’s 1984, an early example of utopia/dystopia dichotomy. Scholars still debate what Plato’s works truly meant, but culturally, Atlantis means something very different to contemporaries than it did to those in Ancient Athens.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has generally stayed fairly faithful to its original source materials, while also taking in more modern ideas to complement outdated or egregious artefacts of 1960s comic books. Obvious examples would be J.A.R.V.I.S. being an AI in the movies as opposed to just a butler, or Wong being a highly capable sorcerer instead of a tea-carrying manservant.
Aquaman, however, is most prevalent in the mind of blockbuster movie afficionados. Jason Momoa’s 2019 film has a firm grasp on the title of Atlantis and it’s likely that Marvel doesn’t want any misunderstanding between their universe and DC’s.
What is Talocan?
Instead, Namor will rule Talocan. But what exactly is Talocan? Is it a place in Marvel comics? Or something from mythology?
Actually, Talocan is a bit of both. It’s partially based on Atlantis from Marvel Comics, but draws much larger inspiration from the Aztec paradise Tlālōcān. Described as a type of afterlife level, Tlālōcān is ruled by the god of rain, Tlāloc. The Aztec belief system iterates that the way in which a person dies will determine which paradise they reside in after death.
Reserved for those who have died from floods, water-based illnesses, lightning strikes on water, and storms, Tlālōcān is believed to be underground. The ideas of the mystic land still exist in modern cultures, and its inclusion in Black Panther 2 would suggest it’ll be — similar to the ancient tale of Atlantis — a rival spiritual nation.
You heard it here first, Wakanda Forever is a retelling of Plato.
The casting of Mexican actor Tenoch Huerta does suggest that Marvel will lean heavily into Mesoamerican culture in a way that reflects Wakanda tapping into Indo-African spirituality and culture.
So, why isn’t it Atlantis, then?
The inclusion of Atlantis in Aquaman would make it less appealing to Marvel. What would be more surprising and enjoyable for average cinemagoers? Knowing it’s just Atlantis, or having a journey of discovery and slowly learning of a different culture, albeit in a bite-sized, amalgamated way?
The casting of Huerta is also very significant. Marvel is telling much more diverse stories from around Earth, as opposed to just America. The historical partition of Pakistan and India is crucial to the plot of Ms. Marvel, as is the Eternals in seemingly aiding the evolution of early human civilisation.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is due to release Nov. 11.