Marvel Studios' Phase 3 is swimming smoothly with all but Captain Marvel already filming. We've got some really exciting films to look forward to (Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther, and Avengers: Infinity War to only name a few) but that hasn't stopped some from looking toward the future and asking: What does Marvel have planned for Phase 4? The potential projects and sequels are almost endless, but new rumors are trying to narrow down the possibilities and claim that Marvel is pushing forward with a project about one of their oldest heroes: Namor the Submariner.
Until Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige or someone else at the studio comes out and says it themselves, treat this has a rumor, but Reel News Hawaii -- dedicated to giving out the scoop on movies and TV shows based in Hawaii -- claims that a Namor project is in the works. In the above tweet, they state that the "buzz around the island" is that two rival productions will film at the same time, Warner Bros.' upcoming Aquaman and Marvel Studios Submariner. While it's interesting to hear that Marvel may have plans for the Submariner, the novelty of Marvel and DC filming their respective and similarly themed undersea superheroes at the exact same time at the same place is almost too good to be true.
Though this is still just a rumor, this does has some plausibility behind it. Reel News Hawaii previously broke the news that Inhumans would film in Hawaii, and that has since been confirmed. Also, Hawaii would be the perfect environment to film a water intensive project like Namor would be.
For a long while, it was unclear which studio owned the rights to Namor. The character was under the ownership of Universal, who were rumored to be working on their own Namor movie, but Marvel COO Joe Quesada has since confirmed that Namor is back with Marvel. No projects or plans were announced for Marvel's version of the king of Atlantis. If Reel News Hawaii does prove to be correct, it's unclear if the future Namor project will be for a movie; There's always the possibility that it could be for a TV show, Netflix or otherwise (think Game of Thrones but underwater).
Namor the Submariner harkens back to the earliest days of Marvel, back when the company was still called Timely Comics. Created in 1939 by Bill Everett, Namor was one of Marvels first superhero characters alongside the Human Torch (not that one; this one was a robot). Namor is the mutant hybrid son of a human sea captain and an Atlantean princess. He has a number of superpowers which include super strength, endurance, and flight thanks to tiny wings on his ankles. He can be a real jerk and he has a deep mistrust for surface dwellers, though he has served on various super teams like the Invaders, the Defenders, and the X-Men.
If any of that sounds like Aquaman, well, you're right, and it only makes the rumor that both heroes could be going head to head all the more interesting.
As of now Marvel hasn't said anything about a future Namor project but keep checking in with CinemaBlend because we'll be sure to keep a close eye on all future developments.
