It would appear that the MCU is worrying over the idea that Namor might be seen as a copy of DC’s Aquaman, even though Namor appeared in the comics three years before Aquaman. The problem is that Aquaman was brought to the big screen first, and of course, that’s going to make Namor look like a copycat, except for the fact that he’s not. His story is still different and unique, and his interactions with the surface world are definitely different. Changing his origin to that of someone that is the ruler of an underwater Aztec kingdom isn’t the worst thing that could happen, but it’s going to be different enough that it’s going to do what a lot of movies have been doing for years, it’s going to push a change that a lot of fans might have an issue with since the whole idea is that Namor is the king of Atlantis, not of an ancient Aztec kingdom. By changing his origin the entire character is likely going to change, and all because the MCU doesn’t want to look like a copycat franchise.
The idea that this is the case is kind of disturbing since it implies that the MCU has no faith in this character and feel that changing him in a fundamental way is the only solution. A lot of people have been criticizing the MCU over the years to one degree or another, but in this, it feels justified since changing a character in certain ways to make them work for the movie isn’t such a bad thing. But changing the origin of a character is bound to have some ramifications that won’t be all that positive, especially since it feels as though it’s banking more on the idea that a lot of fans either won’t care or won’t know enough about Namor to realize that his beginnings have been changed.
It’s hard to tell if this is a theory, a rumor or is something that’s actually going to happen at this time, but if it does happen it’s bound to shake the faith in the MCU just a bit since switching things around in this manner is bound to have some sort of effect. The lack of faith that it shows in pushing Namor in an as-is situation could very easily send a message to the fans that might differ between one fan and another, but in a way, it can show that the MCU is less than confident when it comes to competing with DC. It is fair to say that those in charge would say that this isn’t the reason and that they have their own plan to bring forth something they feel will work better, but seriously, it does come off as highly suspect. Namor hasn’t changed for a long time, and while change isn’t a bad thing, there are moments when things should be left at least as close to the same as they can be, lest the fans figure out that the MCU doesn’t really care what they want or how one decision or another is bound to affect the franchise. Of course, it kind of feels like this was established a while ago.
It was a big hope that Namor would have been a villain for the Fantastic Four when they arrived, but thanks to this rumor it’s fair to think that such a thing won’t be happening. It sounds silly from one perspective to worry that much about a character being changed, but at the same time, it doesn’t since when looking at things, a lot of heroes and villains have been just as recognizable despite the changes that have been made over the years. Very few characters have been changed to such a degree that their entire origin ended up being altered, as the MCU has at least given people the idea that there is some respect for the characters that have made the franchise what it is today. But the idea of switching Namor’s origin in this manner is bound to muddy the character’s overall impact in the MCU for some folks, while others might go along with it simply because they don’t see any other choice. After all, those in charge are bound to do what they feel is right, even if it turns out to be one of the worst decisions ever.
Switching Namor’s origin isn’t a world-ending decision to be fair, but it’s a bad idea all the same since introducing this character as the product of an ancient Aztec civilization that fell beneath the waves, versus keeping him as a product of Atlantis, is a big switch that might not work quite as well. It’s bound to be expected by the fans to one degree or another, but it’s not hard to see that such a move would earn a lot of criticism as well.
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