The MCU has a lot of characters. I’m talking a lot, a lot. Heroes perish and ten or more new characters appear to fill the void they’ve left behind. But there are those characters whose grandeur surpasses the crowd surrounding them. There are some apparent standouts regarding new characters who made their debut in Phase 4; Shang-Chi, Sylvie, Eternals Thena and Makkari, Yelena Belova, and Moon Knight. And then there’s Namor.

Yesterday I shared my updated MCU ranking with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever becoming my second favorite movie in the entire franchise! I never thought I’d see the day when I would enjoy a film more than Captain America: The Winter Soldier but the impact this movie had and is still having on me is truly special.

The heart of this film is a story about grief but in the midst of all that grief is a wealth of fascinating characters whose stories impact the movie in exciting ways. And while Shuri is the lead character I’m finding myself drawn to the antagonist of the film in the same way that happened when I watched Black Panther four years ago.

In Black Panther, we were introduced to Erik Killmonger, a one-off villain whose impact was so special I refused to believe he had died. Michael B. Jordan took the character to incredible heights with the screentime that he had, becoming my favorite character in the movie and the best villain in the MCU…until Thanos arrived a few months later in Infinity War.

Well, Ryan Coogler has done it again by creating another well-rounded, three-dimensional antagonist in Namor.

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!

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