Marvel News: ‘Wakanda Forever’ Runtime, Namor Pics, & ‘Blade’ Director Exit
Wakanda Forever may run a little longer than some fans expect, plus an update on Blade and another look at Namor.
The week is starting off strong with a few low-key bits of news about some upcoming Marvel Studios productions. I mean for one, the new Deadpool x Wolverine rom-com is a sure contender for the 2024 awards season. But there were plenty of little announcements from productions that won’t see us waiting for so long.
First Off, Namor –
Y’all, we got another stunning look at the Atlantean prince (played by Tenoch Huerta) thanks to Empire Magazine.
Namor is half human, half Atlantean. He’s Marvel’s first official mutant and will be the son of a Mesoamerican nation that sunk into the sea. His mutant gene expresses itself in the form of his neat little ankle wings, which help him fly.
According to director Ryan Coogler, Namor was an easy choice for the second Black Panther movie. “The contrast between T’Challa and Namor – their characters, and their nations – just leaps off the page,” he told Empire. “He’s a dream antagonist.”
Wakanda Forever Runtime Revealed
Wakanda Forever will boast the second-longest runtime of the MCU movies to date. It’ll be twenty minutes shorter than Avengers: Endgame, coming in at an impressive 2 hours and 41 minutes.
via Marvel
The highly-anticipated sequel to the groundbreaking film Black Panther has seen its share of production delays, so it’s encouraging to see a final screen time before its November premiere.
Now, long movies tend to elicit a lot of moaning and groaning. Mostly from me, because I still believe we should bring back the intermission. But Endgame and DC and Matt Reeve’s latest iteration of The Batman both saw incredible success at the box office. And if any MCU film has enough emotion, plot, and character depth to keep my attention for nearly 3 hours, it’s Wakanda Forever.
Blade Loses Director Bassam Tarriq
Lastly, and unfortunately, the upcoming film about Marvel’s badass vampire, Blade, has lost its director Bassam Tariq. This comes little over a month before the production was to start filming in November.
“Due to continued shifts in our production schedule, Bassam is no longer moving forward as director of Blade but will remain an executive producer on the film,” Marvel told THR. “We appreciate Bassam’s talent and all the work he’s done getting Blade to where it is.”
Marvel is already in the process of finding a new director for the series. Stay tuned for more updates on the action-packed vampire movie due out in November 2023.
