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Thor: Love & Thunder's Zeus Sets Up A Secret Namor & Atlantis Connection
While Thor: Love and Thunder's introduction of Zeus and the Olympians is undoubtedly tied to the cosmic, god-killing threat of Gorr the God Butcher, it sets up a secret, earthbound MCU connection to Namor the Sub-Mariner as well. The hot-tempered King of Atlantis has been around in Marvel Comics for over eight decades and is rumored to make his official MCU debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. However, an oft-forgotten link between Olympus and Atlantis could foreshadow Namor's eventual franchise inclusion for eagle-eyed fans.
Namor the Sub-Mariner was introduced in the post-Superman comic book craze of 1939. Though his first appearance was technically in Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1, he was more famously a part of Marvel Comics #1 along with the first Human Torch and the Masked Raider. He's often been billed as "Marvel's first mutant" and has been a member of numerous groups like the X-Men, the Avengers, and the Illuminati. Now fans are convinced Namor will debut in Black Panther 2. Zeus has also been around longer than you might think, making his first appearance in 1949's Venus #5. The so-called "King of the Gods" is usually found in comics where Thor or Hercules are involved, though recent Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy comics have featured him, too. Zeus's inclusion could certainly pave the way for the introduction of Namor down the line.
After years of a solo Namor movie being stuck in development hell at Universal Pictures, it seems he will finally make his film debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. But suppose Marvel Studios wants to get audiences comfortable with the idea of Atlantis before introducing a character who is a clear threat to DC's second Aquaman movie. In that case, they could take inspiration from the comics and highlight an ancient connection between the underwater kingdom and Olympus. As shown in The Incredible Hercules #123, Atlas was "condemned to hold the heavens aloft" in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean after an ancient war between the Greek Gods and the Titans. The ground where he stood before the continent fell to the ocean's depths was named Atlantis as it meant "Isle of Atlas." Russell Crowe's Zeus could mention this earthly history in Thor: Love and Thunder as a setup for Namor's inclusion in the second Black Panther film.
Though they could introduce Namor later without mentioning Atlantis in Thor: Love and Thunder, Marvel Studios often includes Easter eggs and hints of upcoming characters in their movies and TV shows. Namor and Atlantis have both already been alluded to a few times in the MCU. Atlantis appears on a map during a scene in Iron Man 2, and Okoye mentions suspicious "underwater earthquakes" off the coast of Africa in Avengers: Endgame. Having Zeus mention the origins of Olympus and its connection to Atlantis could be another way to give Marvel die-hards something to freak out about on social media. Marvel knows how to excite its rabid fanbase.
Providing MCU devotees with more clues about Namor's rumored inclusion in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever seems like a no-brainer. It's clear Zeus and Olympus have a significant part to play in Thor: Love and Thunder. With Atlantis's origins in the comics directly tied to Olympus itself, playing up the little-known connection would get moviegoers interested in the Sub-Mariner before returning to Wakanda later this year.
