Wakanda Forever’s Namor Proves The MCU’s Doctor Doom Could Be Great

Because they’re both major, long-running comic book characters whose core personalities developed during their early appearances, Doom and Namor are both among the arguably toughest Marvel characters to adapt for live action. Comic book panels allow for far more self-obsessed monologuing and haughty, overacted posturing than movies do, and both of these characters are masters of these fields. 

As a result, Doctor Doom and the Sub-Mariner have both developed into incredibly powerful and threatening characters … who also happen to be ultra-melodramatic cheeseballs with features that work very well on paper, but are incredibly hard to bring to screen. Namor has his whole ankle wings-and-green Speedo thing, while Doom’s hindered by his ever-present, emotionless face plate. 

And yet, when Namor enters the MCU in “Wakanda Forever,” he brings almost all of his most notorious comic book traits with him. The “Black Panther” sequel manages to deliver a very cool take on Namor. Despite some changes, the live-action character manages to be very, very faithful to the spirit of the original, while also stealthily doing away with some of the comic book Namor McKenzie’s more ridiculous properties.

Because they’re both major, long-running comic book characters whose core personalities developed during their early appearances, Doom and Namor are both among the arguably toughest Marvel characters to adapt for live action. Comic book panels allow for far more self-obsessed monologuing and haughty, overacted posturing than movies do, and both of these characters are masters of these fields. 

As a result, Doctor Doom and the Sub-Mariner have both developed into incredibly powerful and threatening characters … who also happen to be ultra-melodramatic cheeseballs with features that work very well on paper, but are incredibly hard to bring to screen. Namor has his whole ankle wings-and-green Speedo thing, while Doom’s hindered by his ever-present, emotionless face plate. 

And yet, when Namor enters the MCU in “Wakanda Forever,” he brings almost all of his most notorious comic book traits with him. The “Black Panther” sequel manages to deliver a very cool take on Namor. Despite some changes, the live-action character manages to be very, very faithful to the spirit of the original, while also stealthily doing away with some of the comic book Namor McKenzie’s more ridiculous properties.