Namor And Shuri Romance is One Big Missed Opportunity
We were so close to getting them as a romantic couple.
If you felt that there was something more than diplomatic rivalry between Shuri and Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, then you are not alone.
The movie's main antagonist Namor, played by Tenoch Huerta, could also have been Shuri's love interest — at least that's what Wakanda Forever editor, Michael P. Shawver, revealed in an interview with Newsweek.
According to him, a certain romantic element in their relationship was even filmed and tested with different audiences. However, in the end, Marvel decided to scrap it from the final cut.
Instead, the team decided to focus on Namor's idea that "only the most damaged people can be truly great leaders," exploring "shared trauma" and not romance.
And, according to fans, that was a missed opportunity.
"I knew I saw some chemistry between the characters but I wasn't sure until my gf agreed and said it was obvious. I think marvel missed a big opportunity their. The two most powerful nations on earth excluding New Asgard. They would be untouchable together as king and queen," Twitter user MonumentTwo said.
Initially, when some fans picked up on the chemistry between Shuri and Namor, a lot of people hated the idea. However, it turns out those willing to ship the leaders of Wakanda and Talocan were not "tripping" but rather catching on what was left from the "romantic element" that Marvel considered to include in the movie.
Many people still believe that Shuri and Namor are not done. With the two characters likely to appear in future Marvel projects, their connection and shared trauma might as well still lead to something more than just diplomatic rivalry and occasional chemistry.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premiered in theaters on November 11, wrapping up MCU's Phase Four.