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- Let us burn it together.
- —Namor to Shuri, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Nashuri is the het ship between Shuri and Namor from the Marvel Cinematic Universe fandom.
Canon[]
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever[]
Namor and Shuri officially met for the first time by the waters of Wakanda, where Queen Ramonda was urging Shuri to perform a ritual in an effort to help her heal from T'Challa's passing. Namor emerges from the water and confronts them about Wakanda's decision to reveal their country and their capabilities to the world, a decision made by the late King T'Challa, as it put his own secret nation in danger. Explaining that his people have encountered other countries trying to steal their vibranium with a detector, Namor demands that they find the scientist responsible for creating it, as it was Wakanda's decision that led to this problem. Leaving them with a conch shell for communication, Namor vaguely threatens them with punishment should they reveal his existence to anyone outside of their nation.
With a tip from Everett Ross, Shuri and Okoye track down the scientist, revealed to be the young genius Riri Williams. Riri's young age and well-meaning intentions sway them to take her back to Wakanda instead to keep her safe from Namor, a plan he clearly anticipated, as Talokanil forces led by Namora and Attuma intercept them before they can travel back home. After Okoye gets defeated in a duel against Attuma, Shuri is forced to come to Riri's aid and delays danger by demanding to be taken to Namor and to Talokan.
In Talokan, Shuri is given a traditional dress to wear before she meets with Namor, who proceeds to share his past and his country's history with her to gain her empathy and allow her to see the reasons behind his actions. Shuri tries to bargain with him by offering to keep Riri in Wakanda, and then offers herself in exchange when he turns it down, stating with a diplomatic smile that she would love to see his nation. Namor jokes with her about the dangers of going down there in a dress before offering to let her use a suit.
Namor then takes Shuri on a tour of his kingdom which she clearly enjoys, delighting in the wildlife and culture, and takes a particular interest in the underwater sun Namor crafted and brought to his people. Following the tour, the two bond in a cenote by the water, where Namor offers her his mother's bracelet as a token of gratitude for being the first surface dweller to visit Talokan. There, they share a deep conversation about their personal problems and the two begin to think they understand each other. Shuri opens up to someone about her feelings on T'Challa's death for the first time, and Namor kindly offers her genuine well-meaning advice on what it is to be a great leader. A grateful Shuri states that she admires what he has created, but firmly reiterates that she will not stand for Riri's death. Namor makes it clear to Shuri that he wants an alliance and will allow Riri sanctuary in Wakanda if they join together to wage war on the surface world. When questioned by Shuri on what will happen if Wakanda doesn't comply, Namor threatens them by saying that the scientist will be killed and he will wage war on Wakanda first.
A distressed Shuri is left speechless with shock. Just before he leaves, Namor tells Shuri that he heard her and her mother talking the night they first met, about how she wanted to burn the world, and offers that they burn it together.
Shuri goes back to Riri where she wants to think on his words, but Nakia, sent by Ramonda on a rescue mission, breaks in and shoots one of the guards dead. Nakia also proceeds to shoot the other holding Shuri hostage. Realizing what this will mean for Talokan and Wakanda's relationship, Shuri attempts to help and heal the surviving guard's wound, telling Nakia that Namor will interpret this as an act of war. However, given the fact that they were running out of time, Nakia hurriedly escorts the two of them out and away to safety. Namor, Namora, and other Talokanil discover the wounded guards, prompting Namor, who is clearly feeling angry, hurt, and betrayed, to rally his people for war against Wakanda and then the rest of the surface world.
It isn't long before Talokan launches their attack. The streets of Birnin Zana are flooded and there are plenty of casualties, as Wakanda is completely unprepared. Namor and Shuri have their first antagonistic encounter, with her shooting at him from her ship and him destroying said ship over water and leaving her to drown in the flood. Namor then enacts his final act of retribution by bombing the throne room where Ramonda and Riri are in, resulting in Riri's survival but Ramonda's death. Proceeding to make his final threat to a grieving Shuri, Namor and the Talokanil finally leave.
After her mother's funeral, Shuri successfully recreates the heart-shaped herb and becomes the Black Panther. However, after seeing Killmonger in the ancestral plane, she is driven by anger and vengeance and wages war on Namor in revenge for her mother’s death. They take the fight to the distant sea to lure him and his people out and with a strategy crafted meticulously with Riri, Shuri manages to trap Namor in the Royal Talon Fighter which has been modified to become a chamber designed solely to dehydrate and weaken him.
Realizing what she has done and what this means for him, Namor uses his vibranium spear to cause significant damage to the ship in an attempt to escape. Shuri orders her ship to be taken to the desert before engaging Namor in a fight, who quickly pushes her away and stabs his spear into the ship once more, causing it to be ultimately destroyed and land in the sand.
Their mutual feelings of rage, betrayal, and hurt reach its tipping point, and Shuri and Namor engage in a brutal duel where she rips off his ankle wings and uses her claws on him viciously. He reciprocates in kind by ruthlessly pummelling her. It culminates with Namor finding a spear and managing to stab Shuri with it, impaling her on a rock. Just before he weakly limps away to find water, Namor gravelly says, "it could've been different".
Driven by a memory of her meeting with Killmonger, Shuri determinedly pulls the spear out and intercepts Namor a final time before commanding the remnants of the ship to explode, severely burning him. Namor, on the brink of death, looks up at Shuri who holds a spear to his neck, preparing to kill him. He has a vision of his mother extending her hand to him. It is during these moments that Shuri begins to remember all the past events that they have been through and a vision of Ramonda urging her to show him who she was ultimately sways her to spare him for the sake of their nations, though not before forcing Namor to yield.
Finally achieving an alliance and very tentative peace, the two go back to their people and tell them to stop the war, as it is officially over.
Following these events, Namora voices her concerns and distrust for Wakanda to Namor, to which he explains that Shuri had every reason to kill him but chose not to, and that her empathy will ultimately be for the good of Talokan. Explaining that Wakanda will call on them when they need to, Namor finishes a painting of their fight on the wall, immortalizing his duel with the Black Panther.
Fanon[]
After the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the ship between Namor and Shuri gained significant attention and sailed rapidly, with 65 works on A03 in just days after its release and numerous articles about a potential relationship being published by news websites such as The Vulture and Collider. Fans were intrigued by the interesting tension between the two, with Shuri's presence effectively bringing out Namor's more affable side, and likewise his for her, as he is the first person to get her to open up following her brother's passing. The two were noted to have bonded over shared experiences and each other's presences allowed the other to begin to heal. It also helps that Namor had a dress made for her, appropriate accomodations prepared, and gave Shuri his mother's bracelet, as he thoughtfully remembered her interest in it. Even after their fallout, it is clear Namor regards her with respect and immortalizes their battle in a mural.
Fans have noted parallels between Hades & Persephone, as both stories feature a kidnapping, gift-giving, and a mother's heartbreak, as both Demeter and Queen Ramonda punish those who should've been looking after their daughters (Okoye and the nymphs) and send a trusted ally to retrieve them (Nakia and Hermes). Talokan may also parallel the Underworld, of which both Namor and Hades are kings respectively. Both fans and the movie's crew alike have joked that following Namor giving Shuri the bracelet, the two were now in a marriage alliance.
On AO3, it is currently the most written-for ship within the Black Panther (Marvel Movies) tag, and the most written-for ship for both characters.
Fandom[]
FAN FICTION
- Namor/Shuri tag on AO3
TUMBLR
- Namor/Shuri tag on Tumblr
Trivia[]
- Namor is said to be "charmed" and "smitten" with Shuri in the leaked original script for Wakanda Forever. During their first meeting, he "looks at her almost as if they have met before" and even "eyes her slyly" before leaving. The two also have a deleted scene together where Namor takes Shuri to a sacred garden she expressed interest in visiting earlier, as thanks for improving Talokan's underwater sun in a cut subplot.
- Riri Williams remarks that the two of them looked like they were "floating off on a date", in the same leaked script.
- Tenoch Huerta called Shuri and Wakanda a natural ally to Namor.
- Both Letitia Wright and Tenoch Huerta have noticed fanworks for the ship, with Letitia liking at least three fanart pieces from an artist on Instagram, and Tenoch sharing fanart on his IG story.
- In the audio commentary for Wakanda Forever, director Ryan Coogler remarks that he wanted their Talokan scenes to "feel intimate", especially when Namor gives Shuri his mother's bracelet.
- Joe Cole remarks that "they (Namor & Shuri) have a shared connectivity and emotionality that comes from that shared journey” in the same audio commentary
- In Wakanda Forever: The Official Black Panther Podcast, Ludwig Göransson remarks that Con La Brisa (which features romantic lyrics and tone), "felt like it was made for them" and that it in fact, "was made for them".
- Michael P. Shawver said that during the movie's editing stage, the crew would often joke that the bracelet meant they were "married now".
- Director of Marvel Studios' Eternals, Chloé Zhao, implied support for the ship and even mentioned AO3 in a post praising the cast and crew for the movie, ending her caption with "...When Namor asked Shuri to burn the world with him...😳💙🌊 #ao3". When fans said "she knew what was up", Chloé responded with "I do 🥵".
- In a snippet from the to-be-released Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Movie Special Book, Namor is described to be seeking Shuri's "kinship and support". Couple this with Ryan Coogler and Joe Cole emphasizing their intimacy and "humanitarian connection", this all but debunks theories of Namor manipulating Shuri in any way.
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