James Gunn has officially taken the reigns as an executive at DC Studios alongside Co-CEO Peter Safran, ushering in the rebooted film franchise known as the DC Universe. However, does this mean one of the legacy actors with the previous iteration, Jason Momoa, may finally have his shot at portraying the space bounty hunter known as Lobo?
Momoa turned out to be box office gold for Warner Bros’ soon-to-be-defunct DC Extended Universe, with his titular role in Aquaman generating the one and only billion-dollar worldwide box office movie for the entire cinematic universe to date. What’s more, Momoa is slated to star in the sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, on December 20. With that in mind, it’s surely in WB’s own best interest to retain Momoa as Arthur Curry…or is it?
Goodbye Aquaman, hello Lobo?
Though Gunn is rebooting the universe, that doesn’t mean all of the actors who were part of the previous franchise are going away completely. You see, Gunn confirmed on Threads just last week that Xolo Maridueña’s Blue Beetle, Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller, and John Cena’s Peacemaker were all slated to return, as we previously reported. Nowhere in that social media post was Momoa mentioned, but we wouldn’t count him out entirely as having a future in the DCU.
In fact, a recent report in Variety even claimed, based on unnamed sources, that “the actor has engaged in talks to play Lobo.” That same article stated none of the original Justice League actors would be returning for the DCU as their original characters. For those who want additional verification, have there been any hints outside the article that Momoa will be playing Lobo?
It turns out, that Momoa has heavily hinted at a secretive DC project that is forthcoming after he made a surprise Instagram story in which he shouted with glee in a video following a meeting with Gunn and Safran back in January. Though the title of the project wasn’t named, it added fuel to the fire of the pre-existing rumor that Momoa was being considered for the part of Lobo, a role for which the actor has long expressed enthusiasm since as early as 2014 and even before he was cast as Aquaman.
A rumor mill that’s been building for years
Back in November 2022, it was Gunn himself who fueled the speculation among fans when his very first post on the social media site Mastadon was an image of Lobo. Momoa wasn’t specifically mentioned at the time, though the rumor mill about him playing Lobo has been active for the better part of the past half of a decade now.
Around that same time, Momoa was quoted on Entertainment Tonight Canada as saying one of his “dreams come true will be happening” under Safran and Gunn. When CBR then followed that up by asking Momoa to “blink twice” if that project involved Lobo, he said:
“Well I have to obviously blink, so there’s no way I can get out of this without blinking, but you know that would be amazing if that happened.”
In regard to the mystery project, Momoa added: “Comic book fans around the world are going to be very excited.” He went on to say the project was “definitely something I’ve collected my whole life […] I collect this comic book the most.”
Assuming the latest reports are true, what is the earliest we can expect Momoa to appear as Lobo? According to the Variety piece, it could happen as soon as 2025’s Superman: Legacy.