Tenoch Huerta as Namor flying in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Can Namor Fly in Marvel Comics? Namor’s Power of Flight in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Explained

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s official trailer premiered on October 3, 2022 and included several thrilling shots and surprises. However, Tenoch Huerta definitely stole scenes as we got a full taste of his take on the bold leader of Talocan, Namor. Namor is a powerful and ruthless ruler, who the Atlanteans call “K’uk’ulkan” or “the feather serpent god.” In fact, he’s so powerful and feared that M’Baku (Winston Duke) warns that killing the mutant could result in eternal war.

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Meanwhile, Huerta looks absolutely phenomenal as Namor. His power is nearly palpable as he descends from the sky with his winged feet or unleashes torrents of water on Wakanda. We also get a few goosebump-inducing shots of him sitting on his shark-tooth throne. Needless to say, Namor is shaping up to be a fantastic antagonist in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. This is reassuring, as viewers were a little concerned when it was revealed that Namor’s origin story was changed for the film. In the comics, he is the leader of Atlantis, but in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, he is the leader of Talocan, a race inspired by the ancient Aztecs.

However, the change proved effective in capturing the mutant Namor from the comics, while changing his origins to avoid comparisons to DC’s Aquaman. Additionally, besides changing his origin, Namor is sticking pretty close to the comics with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) making him a mutant and, now, revealing that he has his signature flight, too. Here’s what you need to know about Namor’s powers of flight in Marvel comics.

Can Namor fly in Marvel Comics?

Namor the Submariner in Avengers #8.
(Marvel Comics)

Namor can fly in the Marvel comics, and his power of flight comes from his mutant genes. Namor’s unique physiology as a half-human, half-Atlantean is where the majority of his powers come from, such as his superhuman strength, speed, and ability to breath underwater. However, his power of flight and winged feet are explainable only by his X-gene. No one really knows how his flight works, though, as we can’t comprehend how those tiny wings could carry his body weight or produce such effective speed. As a result, some speculate his flight in psychosomatic and he telekinetically makes his wings capable of producing flight.

The fact that Namor is both Atlantean and mutant makes him especially powerful. Meanwhile, his flight is a huge advantage for him, as he can fly exceedingly fast and for a seemingly infinite amount of time. The trailer sees him soaring through the skies and effectively fleeing conflicts. However, we also get of shot of Riri Williams taking to the sky as Ironheart, so he might find himself challenged in the skies as well as on land.

Not only does his flight in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever align with the comics, but it’s also visually thrilling to see him in the sky, hovering above his people with his ankle wings flapping and his staff in his hand.

(featured image: Disney)


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Rachel Ulatowski
Rachel Ulatowski is a Staff Writer for The Mary Sue, who frequently covers DC, Marvel, Star Wars, literature, and celebrity news. She has over three years of experience in the digital media and entertainment industry, and her works can also be found on Screen Rant, JustWatch, and Tell-Tale TV. She enjoys running, reading, snarking on YouTube personalities, and working on her future novel when she's not writing professionally. You can find more of her writing on Twitter at @RachelUlatowski.