Black Panther 2 introduced a whole new kingdom of Talokan. Led by the classic Marvel anti-hero Namor, Talokanil forces wreak havoc in Wakanda. While it might seem like the people of Talokan are inherently evil, the war between Wakanda and Talokan is a little bit more complicated.
Namor is one of the oldest Marvel characters and even precedes the company's title. He's been featured in comics for nearly a century and finally made his entrance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. However, the Sub-Mariner in the MCU is slightly different from his comic counterpart since he hails from Atlantis in the comics. MCU's Namor, on the other hand, hails from Talokan, which has Mesoamerican roots.
In this article, we will try to answer why Namor hates Wakanda in Black Panther 2 and map out his larger motivations for the conflict.
Why Namor wanted a war with Wakanda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Why Vibranium is so important to Namor
Namor is portrayed as a complex character in Black Panther 2. While he is driven by his love for Talokan, he also understands that Talokan and Wakanda are the only two countries in the world that have access to Vibranium.
In Black Panther (2018), we found out that a meteorite brought Vibranium to Wakanda, leading to the creation of the Heart-Shaped Herb that imbues the power of the Black Panther in whoever consumes it. Talokan was also hit by a different meteorite containing Vibranium, but they received a Water-based herb instead. This explains why the Talokanil forces are incredibly strong.
Namor was still in the womb when his mother consumed the herb, which is why he didn't lose his anthropomorphic features. He has immense longevity, the ability to breathe on the surface, and tiny wings on his feet which gave him the ability to fly.
Vibranium is an immense resource for both Wakanda and Talokan. When the former promised to deliver Vibranium to the world, Namor felt that this would give the surface dwellers an incredible edge for them and that some aspects of colonization would start again.
Namor wants to kill Riri Williams
In Black Panther 2, Namor comes to Wakanda and asks for Queen Ramonda and Shuri's help in a war against the surface world. He also wants to kill Riri Williams, who invented a device that helps track Vibranium.
Nakia saves them from Namor, which kickstarts the latter's attack on Wakanda, and he kills Queen Ramonda in the process via the hypnotic siren singing. He almost kills Riri Williams as well but vows to come back once again to settle their conflict once and for all.
Namor's ulterior motives behind his attack on Wakanda
Namor goes to war with Wakanda and almost dies at the hands of Shuri in the process. In the end, he tells his sister Namora that an allyship with Wakanda is a means to the end of starting a war with the surface world.
He aims to manipulate Shuri and is sure that once the surface world brings war to Wakanda, he will be ready to retaliate and take up the war directly with the surface world. As Shuri promised to stay by Talokan's side if the war ever effects either of them, Wakanda would have no choice but to engage in a war against the rest of the world.
Who is the new leader of Wakanda in Black Panther 2?
Shuri becomes the new Black Panther in Wakanda Forever. While she should serve as the leader of Wakanda, she denies her birthright and passes on the title to M'Baku. It also serves to bring justice to the Jabari tribe, who have existed as an isolated and opposing tribe throughout Wakanda's history.
In the Black Panther 2 mid-credits scene, we find that Nakia has been secretly raising her and T'Challa's child in Haiti. Shuri learns of this when she visits Nakia. This also comes to her as a shock, as Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa dies due to an unknown illness.
Nakia and T'Challa's child, Toussaint, is being raised away from the pressures of the throne but is aware of his princely status. This means that we might see a new leader of Wakanda, but it'll take some time as Toussaint (meaning T'Challa in Wakandan) is only six years old.