In a new preview of the superhero sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, actor Tenoch Huerta put an end to the debate on how his character’s name should be pronounced.
Huerta plays Namor, the leader of an underwater Mesoamerican kingdom known as Talocan. And since his casting, everyone’s been asking, is it Nay-mor or Nuh-mor or some other pronunciation?
In the clip, which debuted last week when Huerta was a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Namor introduces himself to Wakandans Shuri (Letitia Wright) and Ramonda (Angela Bassett). The women hold spears and look ready to attack Namor when he shows up on their land. They demand to know who he is.
At first, Namor doesn’t answer their question. “This place is amazing,” he says. “The air is pristine. And the water … My mother told stories about a place like this – a protected land where people never have to leave; that never have to change who they were. What reason do you have to reveal your secret to the world?”
Namor’s inquisitive nature doesn’t sit well with Ramonda, and she asks him again, “Who are you?” Namor replies: “I have many names. My people call me Kukulkan. But my enemies call me Namor (Nah-mor).”
So, there you have it, Marvel fans. Namor is pronounced Nah-mor, something that feels special because that’s how our communities have been saying his name since the announcement.
Along with learning that bit of knowledge, it’s also great that the clip mentions the anti-hero’s other name, Kukulkan, which is the name of a Mesoamerican serpent deity. According to mythology, the snake-like god was worshiped by the Yucatec Maya people before the Spanish conquest of Yucatán.
We’re looking forward to learning a lot more about Namor’s background when Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits theaters on November 11, 2022.