While the introduction of Zeus and the Olympians in Thor: Love and Thunder is undoubtedly connected to the cosmic, god-killing threat of Gorr, the butcher god, it also establishes the MCU’s secret earthly connection with Namor, the underwater sailor. The hot-tempered King of Atlantis has been present in Marvel comics for more than eight decades and is rumored to officially make his MCU debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. However, the often-forgotten connection between Olympus and Atlantis may portend the possible inclusion of Namor in the franchise for keen-eyed fans.
Namor-submariner was introduced during the craze for comics about Superman in 1939. Although technically his first appearance was in Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1, it is more known that he was part of Marvel Comics #1 along with the first Human Torch and the Masked Raider. He is often referred to as “Marvel’s first mutant,” and has been a member of numerous groups such as the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Illuminati. Now fans are convinced that Namor will make his debut in Black Panther 2. Zeus has also been around longer than you think, first appearing in 1949 in Venus #5. The so-called “King of the Gods” is usually found in comics involving Thor or Hercules, although he also appears in recent Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy comics. The inclusion of Zeus could certainly pave the way for the introduction of Namor in the future.
Link: Everything We Know about Namor and Atlantis in the MCU
After years of Namor’s solo film being stuck in development hell at Universal Pictures, it looks like he’s finally making his movie debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. But suppose Marvel Studios wants viewers to get used to the idea of Atlantis before introducing a character who poses a clear threat to DC’s second Aquaman movie. In this case, they could draw inspiration from comics and emphasize the ancient connection between the underwater kingdom and Olympus. As shown in The Incredible Hercules #123, Atlas was “doomed to keep the heavens in the air” in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean after an ancient war between the Greek gods and the Titans. The land on which he stood before the continent fell into the depths of the ocean was named Atlantis, which means “Atlas Island”. Russell Crowe’s Zeus may have mentioned this earthly story in Thor: Love and Thunder as preparation for Namor’s inclusion in the second Black Panther film.
While they could have introduced Namor later without mentioning Atlantis in Thor: Love and Thunder, Marvel Studios often includes Easter eggs and hints of future characters in their films and TV shows. Namor and Atlantis have already been mentioned several times in the MCU. Atlantis appears on the map during a scene in Iron Man 2, and Okoye mentions suspicious “underwater earthquakes” off the coast of Africa in Avengers: Finale. If Zeus mentions the origin of Olympus and its connection with Atlantis, it could be another way to give Marvel fans a reason to worry on social media. Marvel knows how to excite its rabid fans.
Giving MCU fans additional clues about Namor’s rumored inclusion in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” seems like an easy task. It is obvious that Zeus and Olympus have an important role to play in Thor: Love and Thunder. Since the origin of Atlantis in the comics is directly linked to Olympus itself, acting out a little-known connection will interest moviegoers in “The Submariner” before they return to Wakanda later this year.
