With each film that they release, Marvel Studios is expanding the territory of their movie universe. Their films have been set all over the world, outer space, and in whole new planets and realms. However one area left for Marvel to showcase would be under the sea. As Marvel Comics fans know, there is only one character in their library suited for underwater exploration, Namor the Sub-Mariner.
Namor is actually one of Marvel’s first characters and is considered one of the first anti-heroes in comics. He is the child of the princess of Atlantis and a human sailor. Technically he is a mutant, however he spends his time ruling over the underwater kingdom of Atlantis. Recently in an interview with IGN, Marvel Studio head Kevin Feige was asked if they held the rights to make the a feature film of Namor. This was his response:
Yes, but it’s slightly more complicated than that. Let’s put it this way – there are entanglements that make it less easy. There are older contracts that still involve other parties that mean we need to work things out before we move forward on it. As opposed to an Iron Man or any of the Avengers or any of the other Marvel characters where we could just put them in.
The history of the character and his rights are indeed complicated. Namor’s original run with Marvel Comics was cancelled in the 1950’s. He didn’t make his return until 1962 in the Fantastic Four. That is more than likely the reason for the legal entanglement. Fox owns the cinematic rights to the term “mutant” and the Fantastic Four franchise. The fact that Namor was relaunched in those pages means that Marvel, more likely than not, would have to come to a financial settlement with Fox. It’s likely that while Marvel has the bigger claim to the character, they would still need to appease the competing studio since they may hold some sort of minority stake in him as well.
It should also be noted that it seems that DC/Warner Bros want to beat Marvel/Disney to the punch. There have long been rumors of Aquaman being included in the upcoming DC films that Warner Bros has planned. It is hard to ignore that the comic book incarnation of Aquaman has moved closer to a Namor-type. As opposed to the classic clean-cut, blonde haired, and blue eyed surfer type that he is classically known for. Warner Bros is indeed trying to steal some of Marvel’s thunder in a calculated move. Even going as far as potentially casting the one actor who physically is a match for Namor as Aquaman in Jason Momoa.
With all the legal entanglements, it is unlikely we will see any version of Namor on the big screen anytime soon. However, with a character as dynamic as Namor and the fact that he does go on to become an Avenger, it is hard to see Marvel not getting the issue settled eventually. Until then, we will just have to enjoy the terrestrial and extra-terrestrial adventure occurring in the Marvel cinematic universe and that is more than adequate.
Do you think Marvel should aggressively try to settle the rights issues and hurry Namor to the big-screen? Or is the character not relevant enough for all of the effort?
Source: IGN