Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was a smashing success for Marvel Studios, and Tenoch Huerta's Namor was near-universally praised as a new inclusion to the MCU. The character also became the target of several ‘thirst’ memes due to his skin-baring costume and Huerta's physique, which the actor is now commenting on.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever featured a grieving Wakanda as its leader and King, T'Challa (the late Chadwick Boseman), passes away. In the year following, Shuri (Letitia Wright) struggles to come to terms with her brother’s passing. This is complicated when she encounters the mutant Talokan known as Namor. Namor is also saddled with grief: grief for an old home and his deceased mother. The two grapple with one another and must figure out how to come to terms with their emotions. Namor chooses to protect what he currently has by force, guarding his remaining connections closely, while Shuri must figure out if she also wants to tread this path or if she wants to let go of those she has lost and move forward.
Huerta commented on viral memes about his attractiveness in an interview with Rolling Stone. Recently, a post went viral due to claims that Namor's briefs had to be edited to protect his modesty due to the actor's prominence in the speedos. “[Laughs] The only thing that I can say is: the original was the photo on the right. Without [the bulge]! That’s original," Huerta said. "No, I mean, I’m not going to lie to people. Every man in the world, we have fragile masculinity, but not in that issue. I will say, the right one, the real one is the photo on the right.”
Huerta's a big champion for social causes like defeating toxic masculinity. In the same interview, he also comments on the racism he has experienced in his native Mexico (which is an incredibly diverse location. "To be white in Mexico is exactly the same as being white in the States, exactly the same to be white in London, England, or to be white in Europe," he said. "[...] So speaking from that point, the representation is important for all the people in Latin America. I hate to say Latins, because America’s a continent. But you take the name for you, and then you make the difference calling us Latin Americans [laughs]. But all of us, we’re Americans.“
Huerta appears to be not only a capable actor but an erudite person. It’s no wonder his performance as Namor has been a point of praise for Black Panther 2. Huerta appears to understand the character and his hardships on a deeper level; he can even relate to him in real life.
Funnily enough, even though Jason Momoa's Aquaman affected Namor's portrayal in Black Panther 2, which Huerta acknowledges, he still says Namor could take Aquaman in a fight. Apparently, the old DC and Marvel rivalry stands strong.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now playing in theaters.
Source: Rolling Stone