Following the success of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, it’s time to talk about Tenoch Huerta. There were a number of great characters that came from this long-awaited sequel after the devastating passing of Chadwick Boseman, and Ryan Coogler delivered in such a way that made the film well worth the wait. Huerta plays Namor, the anti-hero of this sequel, and you might find yourself agreeing with some of his points throughout the movie. His reasoning for doing what he did, for wanting to burn it all down with Shuri, definitely makes sense, and doesn’t give off a crazy villain that’s unreasonable. With Huerta being the breakout star of this film, he’s definitely getting the credit he deserves, but it’s coming to him all too late. Huerta has been in the acting game for plenty of time now, making a name for himself, but is just now starting to receive his flowers due to his role as Namor.

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Fame in Spain and Latin America

     Netflix

There’s a barrier that’s not really talked about throughout the media, and it’s between what we consume in America and what is consumed through other parts of the world, entertainment-wise. Some people might be surprised to learn that Huerta isn’t new to acting, and that Wakanda Forever isn’t one of his biggest roles, simply because he has fame in other parts of the world. Huerta is from Mexico and has taken several roles where the language is in his native tongue, but that doesn’t make it any less riveting than if it were in English. As Bong Joon-Ho said, we have captions for a reason.

One of his best movies is Son of Monarchs, and you’ll be instantly captivated by the sound of his voice throughout the film, guiding you from the moment it starts. Huerta also was in Narcos: Mexico, and found recognition through Netflix; his character appeared in 16 episodes. More importantly, he starred in a show called Blue Demon, which ran for 65 episodes. Blue Demon is based off the real life wrestler that was known in Mexico, a luchador enmascarado, and a legend of sorts. The New York Times shares that Huerta is extremely proud to be acting on such a high degree for people who look like him, and also how important it is to have brown people on television and movie screens.

Future as Namor

     Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

If you’re not aware, Namor isn’t a new superhero that was created for the sake of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. In fact, Namor was actually featured in the first ever issue of Marvel Comics, meaning that his existence has been very much established. Namor is bigger than his appearance in Black Panther, since he plays a key role as a superhero in the comics, and not just the villain we were introduced to in this movie. It’s very clear throughout the movie that he’s extremely powerful and wasn’t showcasing all that he could really do, so one can expect that he’s going to be making more and more appearances throughout his time in the MCU.

The Need for More POC in Hollywood

     Universal Pictures

In 2021, Huerta starred in The Forever Purge as Juan, a gun-slinging cowboy that turns out to be the hero of the entire film. Huerta kills it in this role because of the topics that are brought up in this movie, and it goes further than just the lawless rule that goes on for the usual 24 hours. In the movie, a different character, Dylan, is openly racist and prejudiced toward Juan, jealous that Juan gets favored by Dylan’s father, and has the belief that Juan isn’t a true cowboy. Specifically, because he isn’t white. The Purge movies often don’t stray from the harsh realities that make up America in real life, so the underlying message of Juan not being a real cowboy on the ranch goes further than just that.

It’s not a secret that many of Hollywood’s “best” actors are white, and there’s a huge lack of diversity, even in 2022. Actors of color often aren’t placed in the limelight like they should be and how they deserve, being overshadowed by their white co-stars or fellow actors. It’s also no secret that these fantastic actors, who are just as good as their coworkers, are often snubbed at big award shows that were made for honoring actors doing their thing on screen. Variety states that The Oscars has fallen short several times on bringing in more diversity to their nominations and wins, often only highlighting white actors.

Representation matters more than most people might think, especially when you don’t see yourself represented on such a big screen. For Tenoch Huerta to be landing these roles, and being such an important character in Black Panther and the MCU, it’s very exciting to think about the amount of people who will see themselves represented; who will feel seen on such a large scale, when for the majority of the population, it’s an everyday occurrence.