I’ve Changed My Mind, There’s No Way The MCU Could Pull Off Sue Storm And Namor’s Comics Storyline After The Fantastic Four: First Steps Trailer

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After the release of the first teaser trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, I don’t think there’s any way Marvel Studios can adapt the romance between Sue Storm and Namor from Marvel Comics into the MCU. We finally got a first look at Vanessa Kirby’s Sue Storm, a.k.a. the Invisible Woman, in the first teaser for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which released on February 4. I reckon Kirby will bring to life the most comic-accurate and powerful version of Sue Storm ever introduced to live-action, but I hope one of her comic storylines is forgotten.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is one of my most highly-anticipated upcoming MCU projects. I can’t wait to see Marvel’s First Family integrated into the MCU, creating the opportunity for some of Marvel Comics’ best stories to be explored much more faithfully to the source material. However, not all of the Fantastic Four’s storylines from the comics would work in the MCU, and there’s one in particular that I hope Sue Storm never explores in live-action. The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ teaser, thankfully, makes me think this is unlikely.

I Can’t Imagine Sue Storm & Namor Falling In Love In The MCU

Sue Storm & Namor Have Something Of A Romance In Marvel Comics

It’s tough to even say that Sue Storm and Namor ever fell in love in Marvel Comics, as their “romance” never really went any further than lust. Their connection is infamous, however, and contributed to some of the Fantastic Four’s biggest conflicts dating back to the very beginning of their Marvel Comics adventures. Despite Sue Storm and Namor’s prominent connection in the comics, however, I really don’t see Vanessa Kirby’s Invisible Woman and Tenoch Huerta’s Namor from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever exploring this storyline in the MCU.

Sue Storm seems to be completely committed to Reed Richards in The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ trailer, and theories suggest she might even be pregnant, perhaps with Franklin Richards. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever also made huge alterations to Namor, which means he’s very unlikely to want to get involved with a regular, human woman. Since much of Sue Storm and Namor’s history in Marvel Comics is pretty dark and seriously controversial, I think it’s best that Marvel Studios just quietly ignores this part of their Marvel Comics story.

Sue Storm & Namor’s Marvel Comics History Explained

Sue Storm & Namor First Met In 1962’s Fantastic Four #4

Namor made his first Silver Age appearance in Marvel Comics’ Fantastic Four #4 back in 1962, which brought him into contact with Marvel’s First Family and Sue Storm for the first time. Almost instantly, Namor formed a strong attachment to Sue Storm, while the Invisible Woman felt conflicted over her physical attraction to Namor, which created some conflict for Reed Richards. This dynamic persisted for many years, while Sue Storm mostly stayed adamant that she had chosen Mister Fantastic, though this didn’t stop Namor making continuous advancements on her.

Sue Storm has given into her urges a number of times in Marvel Comics, but has always found her way back to Reed Richards and the Fantastic Four. In one What If…? storyline, Spider-Man joined the Fantastic Four in their early adventures, sidelining Sue Storm and pushing her directly into the open arms of Namor the Sub-Mariner. Namor’s intervention often got in the way of Reed Richards and Sue Storm’s romance developing, such as when he kidnapped Sue before Reed could propose, but the Fantastic Four power-couple eventually ended up together, while Namor was left without.

Parts Of Namor & Sue Storm’s History Are Too Dark For The MCU

Namor Showed His Worst Sides When Sue Storm Was Involved

Marvel Studios could, of course, decide to follow the narrative of Marvel Comics and introduce a love triangle storyline between Sue Storm, Namor and Reed Richards. However, I think this would be a very bad idea, especially since the “romance” between Namor and Sue Storm was never a loving one, but was in fact laced with coercion, ultimatums and forceful behavior that is pretty abhorrent. Sue Storm showed an iota of physical interest in Namor, but the Atlantean King became obsessed with the Invisible Woman, and went to extreme and terrible lengths to make her his.

Aside from continuously objectifying Sue Storm throughout their adventures together, Namor became an all-round self-absorbed and entitled villain when it came to the Invisible Woman. In their very first meeting in Fantastic Four #4, Namor stated that he would destroy the surface world if Sue didn’t become his bride, while at another time, he planned a scheme to kill the other members of the Fantastic Four to force Sue to join him. He repeatedly kidnapped her, abused her and belittled her, so I don’t think any of their so-called relationship is appropriate to be adapted for the MCU.

Namor’s MCU Changes Make His Sue Storm Connection Unlikely

Tenoch Huerta Debuted As Namor In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Thankfully, Marvel Studios did change many aspects of Namor’s character when developing him as an antihero in 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Tenoch Huerta’s Namor is closely connected to his Mayan ancestry as the King of the underwater nation of Talokan, a huge change from his Atlantean roots in Marvel Comics. Namor’s hatred for the surface world also seems to extend pretty far in the MCU, so I reckon it’s quite unlikely he would even show romantic interest in the human Sue Storm following her debut in The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Tenoch Huerta’s future as Namor hasn’t yet been confirmed, though it’s possible he could return alongside Letitia Wright’s Shuri in the MCU’s upcoming Black Panther 3. The Fantastic Four and the Black Panther are closely connected in Marvel Comics, so it is certainly possible that Marvel’s First Family will cross paths with K’uk’ulkan if they join the MCU’s main continuity in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Even so, I hope Marvel Studios avoids hinting at any romantic connection between Sue Storm and Namor in the MCU – it’s just not necessary.

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