Marvel artist deletes nude post mocking Namor in Black Panther 2

A Marvel Comics artist used a nude photo of himself to mock Namor’s physique in Black Panther 2… and then he deleted it.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will introduce Tenoch Huerta as Namor. In the comics, he’s the king of Atlantis, and bears many similarities to DC’s Aquaman.

The movie is making one major change: instead of Atlantis, the Sub-Mariner presides over the kingdom of Talocan, believed to be inspired by Tlālōcān, an underwater realm in the Aztec codices ruled by the rain god Tlāloc.

Other than that, Huerta’s character seems to be comic-accurate, right down to the green briefs. Alas, one Marvel artist isn’t happy with the actor’s physique.

Marvel Comics artist mocks Namor’s physique in Black Panther 2

Mike Deodato Jr. has a wide-ranging career as a comics artist, working on titles such as The Amazing Spider-Man, New Avengers Vol. 2, Moon Knight, The Mighty Thor, and Thunderbolts.

In a now-deleted Instagram post, he took aim at Huerta’s Namor, seeming to rip into his physique – despite the fact he’s in great shape for the role.

“You can tell somebody screwed things up when a character from a movie looks in worse shape than the 60 years old artist who drew him,” he wrote alongside a side-by-side photo of Namor from the trailer, and Deodato standing nude.

While that post has been taken down, he’s since posted several of his designs for Namor to “p*ss [off] the haters.”

Meanwhile, fans have criticized the artist for the post. “Bros just upset Namor has a better body than him,” one user tweeted.

“Namor looks muscled, strong & athletic. He’s not dehydrated like the other MCU male heroes.And Mike Deodato’s art looks same-y as hell. He has no room to talk,” another wrote.

“Btw just so we’re all clear your muscles being more visible does not mean you are in better shape, despite pop culture liking to pretend it does,” a third tweeted.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be coming to cinemas on November 11 2022.