Namor and Shuri clearly shared a connection in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, but was it romantic in nature? Despite some fans "shipping" the characters, we're never given any indication that there was an attraction in the movie, but it sounds like the story was almost taken in a very different direction.
During an interview with Newsweek, editor Michael P. Shawver confirmed that Ryan Coogler and his team did consider adding a "[romantic] complexity to the relationship," before scrapping the idea after scenes were filmed and tested with audiences.
The Talokan ruler and the new Black Panther do have a couple of intimate scenes together earlier in the sequel when Kukulkán recounts his origin in the hope of forging an alliance with Shuri and the Wakandans. The pair share common ground as "broken people" doing everything they can to protect their respective civilizations, and Shawver says this is the aspect of their relationship they chose to concentrate on.
"So what we ultimately focused on was Namor's line where he says 'only the most damaged people can be truly great leaders,' and that's planting the seed of the shared trauma that she realizes at the end [of the film]."
We're not sure giving these mortal enemies turned uneasy allies romantic feelings for one another would have enhanced their dynamic, but there's always a chance these scenes will show up on the Blu-ray so we can see how things might have played out for ourselves.
In the end, Shuri spares Namor's life and they form an alliance - but it's strongly hinted that he will only honor the truce as long as the Panther and Wakanda are useful to Talakon.
What did you guys make of Namor and Shuri's connection? Did you get any romantic vibes from their scenes together? Be sure to let us know in the comments section (you can check out our review here).
In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira), and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba), fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda. Introducing Tenoch Huerta as Namor, king of a hidden undersea nation, the film also stars Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Mabel Cadena, and Alex Livanalli.