Tenoch Huerta’s character in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” Namor, is Indigenous, and this is a big reason why Huerta was so drawn to this MCU role. “This is the first superhero with an Indigenous background, a Mesoamerican background,”He told the story Los Angeles Times. “It’s a brown-skinned guy. This ancient culture is in his roots. And he speaks like me. We are making history. I told them, ‘Let’s do something to be proud of.'”Huerta was a co-author Twitter that he is of Purépecha and Nahua descent, though he does not identify as Indigenous.
“Black Panther”” director Ryan Coogler shared that on top of being an immensely talented actor, Huerta’s pride for his own heritage and his dedication to advocating for greater representation made him the perfect choice for the role. “It was amazing to see the depth and passion he has when he talks about his Indigenous, Mesoamerican identity.” Coogler told Los Angeles Times. “Because I have a cast of actors who are passionate about human rights and causes, I was certain he would be a good fit for my cast. He feels like he is one of us.”
Talking with Men’s healthHuerta said that he has also noticed a lack in representation in Mexican television and film. This makes it more important for him to play a role in such a huge movie. “You’d go to a movie theater in Mexico and be like, ‘Is this a Danish movie?'”He said.