While it seems all the major Marvel characters have had or will have major motion pictures coming out, either from Marvel Studios, Sony, or Twentieth Century Fox, there has been one fairly major Marvel superhero who has been mysteriously absent from the big screen – Namor, the Submariner. That might be changing pretty soon…according to El Mayimbe, Latino-Review’s master scooper, he believes that the Prince of Atlantis is coming to a theater near you in a mere two and half years. This week the news came out that Universal Pictures has staked out Friday, Nov. 4, 2016, for an unknown tentpole movie that is being co-financed with their new partner, Legendary Pictures. El Mayimbe seems to be hearing that the movie in question could indeed be one featuring the pointy-eared ruler of the oceans.
I know some fans were under the impression that only Spider-Man, The X-Men and the Fantastic Four were the Marvel properties still held at other studios, but Universal has held the rights to the Namor property for several years now. With the rights no doubt set to expire soon, it might be time for Universal to finally pull the trigger; after all, why wait for Marvel Studios to pick it up and run with it (which they most certainly would)? A Namor movie would be a massive undertaking, because there is simply no way to make a movie like that without shooting a ton of it on or under water. Special effects technology has improved a lot since the days of Waterworld, but no one wants that fiasco again. Director Jonathan Mostow (Terminator 3) was attached to direct several years ago, but no word on if he’s still attached.
If this story is indeed true, will Universal and Legendary be willing to play ball with Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios, and incorporate Namor into the overall Marvel Cinematic Universe, or will they keep things totally separate like Fox and Sony have with their Marvel properties?
El Mayimbe posted another kicker, one that can’t be making the folks at Warner Brothers too happy if this rumor is true: Aquaman is scheduled to be a big part of the Justice League movie, which isn’t set to hit till 2017. Will Namor beat Arthur as the first Atlantean monarch to make it to the big screen? Could be. (In fairness, Namor predates Aquaman as a comic book character, too.)
We should reiterate that this is all just total rumor and conjecture at this point — nothing has been confirmed to us by either Universal or Legendary Pictures.
Are you interested in a Namor movie? Sound off in the comments below.
this would be a most difficult movie to complete. You’d need a whole race of blue skinned underwater breathers who can talk under water as well as act. And the lead would have to be comfortable in a green scale speedo and nothing else at all for most all the movie, as well as flying, speaking under water and shifting gears from environment to environment. And they’d not only have to exude animal magnetism, and appeal to the ladies, but also then stand the reveal that they are an alien sterile hybrid! Tall order for most leading men!
I wish Aquaman would get his own movie or at least a cameo before the JL movie. With the Flash TV show it looks like he’s the only “new” main char for most of the audience.
For some reason I always disliked Namor. I found the DC Atlanteans a way better story/universe or whatever you might call it.
Could be amazing. Always thought he was more interesting than aquaman. Let the casting speculation begin…