A writer for Avengers: Endgame has confirmed the theory that Joe and Anthony Russo's supersized movie included an Easter egg tease for Namor the Sub-Mariner.
During the recent Avengers: Endgame watch party, writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely answered a number of fan questions. When one asked whether Okoye's warning of tremors off the coast of Africa was a direct reference to Namor, Markus replied, "Sometimes, you plant seeds. Sometimes, they grow." The thread soon blew up with excited fans wondering when Marvel's version of Aquaman could make his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut.
Sometimes, you plant seeds. Sometimes, they grow. -CM #AvengersAssemble #QuarantineWatchParty https://t.co/9U16imVm1f
— ComicBook.com (@ComicBook) April 28, 2020
When theories first circulated that Okoye was referring to Namor, Markus downplayed the idea of it being a Sub-Mariner reference and said, "I wish we were that smart." Although the writer didn't explain how or why he's changed his mind, the confirmation could mean big things for the wider MCU.
While Endgame had nods to everything from Tony Stark's arc reactor to Arnim Zola and Beta Ray Bill, it's taken a year to confirm the underwater earthquake causing trouble in Wakanda was tied to Namor. As far back as Jon Favreau's Iron Man 2, there have been talks of Namor making his mark on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The 2010 movie featured a worldwide map of strange events being monitored by S.H.I.E.L.D. and pinpointed an occurrence in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
With Sub-Mariner's Endgame Easter egg linking him to Wakanda, fans have speculated that he could be the villain of Ryan Coogler's Black Panther 2. The sequel to 2016's Black Panther isn't expected until May 2022, meaning there's not much to go off just yet.
It's unclear when Sub-Mariner will join the MCU in a larger capacity, though Scott Derrickson also appeared to tease Namor before he stepped away from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. In 2018, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige expanded on the complicated Sub-Mariner rights issues between Disney and Universal. However, only time will tell whether both sides have come to an agreement similar to the one reached between Disney and Sony for Spider-Man.
Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, Avengers: Endgame stars Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Chris Evans as Captain America, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Brie Larson as Captain Marvel, Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, Don Cheadle as War Machine, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Danai Gurira as Okoye and Bradley Cooper as Rocket, with Gwyneth Paltrow Pepper Potts, Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan, Benedict Wong as Wong, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie and Josh Brolin as Thanos.
