'Black Panther 2' may borrow its plot from the comic 'Rise of the Black Panther #2 with Namor as the anti-hero
'Black Panther 2' is now official and there are ample theories that Namor, the Sub-Mariner will make an entrance in the MCU as the new villain in the upcoming sequel. While this has not been confirmed, eagle-eyed fans have noticed fleeting references and truth to be told, they do hint at an impending Namor appearance, starting off with an underwater earthquake off the African coast that Okoye (Danai Gurira) mentions when the surviving group of Avengers update Widow with the developments. When asked how Wakanda looks to tackle it, the reply was that they would leave it alone thinking that it was a natural phenomenon.
The other reference dates back to 'Iron Man 2' when Fury meets Stark to discuss the Avengers initiative. It was at that time he was seen looking at a map that fans have forever speculated that might be the Atlantic Ocean, deep down of which is Atlantis, Namor's underwater kingdom. What if the earthquake was caused by Namor? After all, Atlantis is a city in itself and Thanos' snap may have impacted the underwater kingdom too. The other reason why Namor could be the best choice for the baddie is that he's been Black Panther's most formidable foe in comics. It could also be possible that Namor is leading an invasion from Atlantis.
Should Namor be the villain, then there is also a possibility of the plot being borrowed from the comic storyline, 'Rise of the Black Panther #2' by Evan Narcisse and Javier Pina. The comic follows T'Challa's rise to the throne and his first encounter with Namor. According to the issue, the duo shares a lot in common despite personalities that are as contrasting as they can get. After an initial head-butting, they end up working together to solve the mystery of Wakanda's missing citizens and a rogue Atlantean who wants to usurp his king.
The comic also shows them parting on good terms, but the King of Wakanda also keeps a lookout for an invasion at some stage as he is aware of the threat Namor and Atlantis pose. He copies data on Namor's DNA just to be on the safer side.
While this is pure speculation, it would be a fairly cool way to introduce Namor into the MCU fold. 'Black Panther 2' will hit the screens on May 6, 2022.