The excitement over the inclusion of Latine talent in the sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hasn’t died down since the release of the film’s first full trailer at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con last week.
During the conference, audiences were introduced to actor Tenoch Huerta, who will be playing Namor, the main villain of the movie, and Mabel Cadena, who will be playing Namora, his cousin. Another Latine actor who joined the Wakanda Forever cast onstage was Venezuelan-American Actor Alex Livinalli, who will play a warrior named Attuma.
According to The Encyclopedia of Supervillains, Attuma is described as a nomadic warlord in past Marvel comic books and is usually depicted as an enemy of Namor. With all the changes that Marvel has made to the character of Namor for Wakanda Forever, however, it’s difficult to pinpoint how exactly Attuma will fit into the narrative.
In the trailer, Attuma is seen wearing a massive piece of headgear and other Mesoamerican regalia. He is walking alongside Namora who is wearing an orange and white feathered headdress.
“It’s gonna be great for the Hispanic community,” Livinalli said during Comic-Con about the Latine representation in the film. “I think it’s going to inspire a lot of kids to see themselves and [say], ‘Hey, I can be a superhero. I can be in a Marvel movie.’ So, I’m very excited about that.”
Livinalli is no stranger to Hollywood. He started his career in 2008 in the indie thriller The Next Hit, which featured several rappers, including Flo Rida, T. Drop, Rick Ross and Noreaga. Later, he would star in several TV series such as Fall into Me, Graceland, Queen of the South, Longmire, and American Horror Story. Most recently, he starred in a pair of episodes of Netflix’s Ozark.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premieres in theaters on November 11, 2022.
