Namor the Sub-Mariner actually has his own solo film in development for ages over at Universal Pictures, but for some reason it never came together. He’s considered the first mutant pre-X-Men, although, is not apart of the Fox deal for the mutants.
His origins are not unlike Captain America as he was hero created for wartime comics, he was even apart of Cap’s wartime team The Invaders.
Namor has been hinted to slightly with Easter Eggs in films like Iron Man 2, but it remains unknown if we’ll ever see him, even though Kevin Feige has hinted to IGN that Marvel could make a solo movie, but it would be “complicated” to do so.
“Yes, but it’s slightly more complicated than that. Let’s put it this way – there are entanglements that make it less easy.”
“There are older contracts that still involve other parties that mean we need to work things out before we move forward on it. As opposed to an Iron Man or any of the Avengers or any of the other Marvel characters where we could just put them in.”
The second part sounds like Marvel has the film rights, but the distribution rights still hasn’t been bought by Disney. Paramount and Marvel had a similar deal, where they would have complete creative control and handle production, with Paramount distributing the film for them. Even though Disney bought Marvel, they still had to buy-out Paramount for the existing distribution contracts for Avengers, Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor, along with sequels.
Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War screenwriting duo Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely recently told The Hollywood Reporter they’d like a shot at adapting him for the MCU.
“Namor. He is kind of a jerk and has a chip on his shoulder and he is a king and lives underwater. The degree of difficulty is so high, though. Cause it could be a great movie or it could be truly terrible.”
Considering how Sony and Marvel have been playing nice over the shared production on Spider-Man: Homecoming, we could see Universal and Marvel reach an agreement for a Namor movie. That’s if there’s still even an issue there.
I think Marvel would have missed a giant opportunity Prince Namor is only used a supporting character or a kind-of-villain in the Marvel cinematic universe. It’s hardly shocking to expect he might play a role of sorts in the two Infinity War movies as the two which are expected to start shooting this November in Atlanta.
He’d be a powerful ally against Thanos and whatever the threat of the second film will be, a member of Marvel’s Illuminati it would make sense he’d be involved somehow.
Also, if Marvel was deciding on what new solo projects should happen in Phase Four, there aren’t many who would be opposed to a Sub-Mariner movie being apart of those plans.
This could also be a perfect chance for Marvel Studios to cast their first Asian male lead in a superhero role, as the cinematic universe is extremely lacking Asian characters/actors.
There could easily be a connection to characters from Agents of Atlas (another prime candidate for their own movie) as well, with Namor’s cousin Namora being apart of the team. It wouldn’t hard to imagine a Sub-Mariner movie being another period film taking place in the 1960s or 1970s, as Marvel has teased an interest to having another Marvel film set in the past.
They tease a little bit of encroaching the ocean domain in Civil War, I missed any connection to Namor this time around though.
Should Marvel figure out how to include Namor The Sub-Mariner in Infinity War or give him his own solo film in Phase Four?
SOURCE: THR