Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has not even debuted in theaters yet and it is already attracting some controversy among industry stalwarts. Noted artist Mike Deodato Jr. has made unsavory comments about Namor, who he feels “looks in worst shape.”
Deodato, who is also an Eisner Award winner, went on Instagram to criticize his body physique. And to make matters worse, he compared the image of the actor with his own body.
Here’s what Deodato wrote in the now-deleted Instagram post, “You can tell somebody screwed things up when a character from a movie looks in worst [sic] shape than the 60 years old artist who drew him.”
After fans saw his post, Deodato Jr. was met with a lot of backlash for his problematic body-shaming take.
Who plays Namor in Black Panther?
Tenoch Huerta, who is of mixed Mexican ancestry, invited a lot of attention during the past few months.
After his debut in a recent trailer for Marvel Studios’ Blank Panther sequel, people had thoughts about the actor who plays the Atlantean ruler of the seas.
Some fans praised the brand-new take on the Sub-Mariner, as he was popularly known during his debut in 1939’s Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1. For starters, he sports a mustache, a far cry from the clean-shaven look of his comics version.
Huerta loves the opportunity that playing Namor has afforded him. He says, “I mean, everybody pretends to be a superhero or to be part of [these] movies, and then you are part of them, and then you are the superhero, and then you are wearing the costume. And it’s your skin, your voice, your range, your talent, your story. I don’t know, it’s overwhelming.”
About Mike Deodato Jr.
Deodato has done covers and interiors for several comic series since the 1990s. He is best known for his work in New Avengers in 2013. He even drew Namor during that run.
Ironically, the story he worked at in New Avengers (which also includes Dr. Strange) introduces the same motivation that the Marvel Cinematic Universe Namor will have in his debut in Black Panther 2.
What do you think? Do you agree with what Mike said about Tenoch Huerta’s portrayal of Namor?
