Marvel's Sub-Mariner in the works.
 

"Terminator 3" director revives Marvel veteran
By Borys Kit
Thu Sep 14, 4:47 AM ET


LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Terminator 3" director Jonathan Mostow will write and direct "Sub-Mariner," an adaptation of one of Marvel Comics' oldest superheroes.

In the comic, the Sub-Mariner's real name is Prince Namor, a half-man/half-amphibian from the underwater kingdom of Atlantis. An anti-hero, he frequently finds himself helping the human race as much as he fights it when humans pollute the waters.

The Sub-Mariner first appeared in "Marvel Comics" #1 in 1939, when Marvel Comics was known as Timely Comics. He made his first modern appearance in the pages of "Fantastic Four" in the early 1960s.

Universal Pictures' take will see a young man discovering he actually is a prince from Atlantis, with him turning out to be the key man in a brewing war between the underwater world and the modern surface world. Chris Columbus was on board to direct and produce the film in 2004.

Marvel Studios and producer Kevin Misher had long been interested in Mostow, but he was never available. When Mostow's schedule opened up, he called to check whether the character was up for grabs. When he was, Mostow developed a take that found the core of the character, something that had eluded the producers.

"We want to show our first hero, and still most unique hero, in a world that the audience has never seen before," said Kevin Feige, who will oversee the project for Marvel. "But that spectacle will be tempered with character. Our hero is caught between two worlds. That is the heart of the story, and it is that dichotomy that makes him so interesting."

"Sub-Mariner" will mark Mostow's first film since 2003's "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines." His credits include "U-571" and "Breakdown," both of which were for Universal.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

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Your thoughts?

Who ever green lighted this should be shot.

I'll end up getting the DVD simply because it's Marvel (and because it couldn't possibly be worse than Man-Thing)... but in all honesty I've never given a shit about Sub Mariner... so whatever.

He should have been in Fantastic Four 2 instead.

Yeah, even though he's a pretty "big name" guy in the Marvel universe, Namor's not the kind of character you make a 1.5 - 2 hour summer blockbuster about without everyone in the audience being all "wtf?" unless the audience is made entirely of comic book geeks.

I don't know though, could be good. I thought T3 was really well directed. The guy seems to know how to perfectly pace an action movie. And a lot of the scenes where just insanely cool.

Yeah, I'm not worried about the action. I just would rather not have this be another botched Fantastic Four type film. You can't make a great action film out of certain comic books.

I'm the only one who enjoyed Fantastic 4. :'(

Have you ever actually read Fantastic Four? If I were Stan Lee, I'd stab the guys that wrote and directed that turd.

Funky is correct

Four was decent for a popcorn flick. I had a good time with it.

I think this is going to be absolutely terrible. Namor's a decent supporting character, but there's no way he can carry his own film.

Your comparing the Terminator to the Sub Mariner?!?!

Like someone else said in this thread, Namor is better as a supporting character. But being the comic geek I am, I'd still buy it if it come out on DVD.

Namor was barely interesting when he would cameo in other comic titles.

T3 was terrible, hilliarious but terrible.

T3 wasn't any good. This wouldn't be any good. This post is now 3 sentences long.

I wonder what DC will have to say about them, oh, I don't know, completely plagiarising Aquaman's origin instead of using their perfectly functional existing origin for Namor. :$ There was nothing wrong with him being born as the product of a fiery interspecial love affair and being born as the only 'pink-skin' among the blue-skinned Atlanteans. :(

Fantastic Four would have been pretty good imo, if they hadn't royally fucked up dr. doom. I don't mind changes to the source material as long as it makes sense to do so. Making spideys web shooters part of his powers made sense. Making Phoenix a darker side of jean's powers instead of making it some com=smic entity that wouldn't have fit the environment and atmosphere of the series made sense. Transforming one of the most intimidating and fearsome villains in all of comics from a genius, incredibly powerful, fearless dictator, to a whining little company CEO did not make any sense, and was completely unforgivable.

Let's not forget Mr. Freeze suddenly looking like he could single handedly lift a house above his head and talking in puns that would make The Joker cringe.

Also, Bane.