Summary
James Gunn is recruiting the old guard for the newly rebrandedDCU, but not all is as it seems. AlongsideCreature Commandosalready bringing back Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller from the DCEU, and John Cena reprising his role as the titular Peacemaker forPeacemakerseason 2, theDCUhas secured another major name from the Snyderverse.
While there wereclearly problems with the DCEU, there was plenty of praise for performances from the likes of Henry Cavill’s Superman, Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, and Jason Momoa’s Aquaman. Now, Cavill is out as David Corenswet puts on Superman’s red pants, things have gone quiet after speculation Robbie could return, and Momoa has just nabbed himself a lucrative role in the DCU as a completely different character.
Who is Lobo?
Aftermonths of Lobo speculationand a few red herrings from Gunn himself,Jason Momoa has been locked in as the DCU’s Lobo. Due to appear in the Milly Alcock-ledSupergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, Lobo is set to make his DCU and cinematic debut in 2026. Lobo has appeared in live-action before thanks to Emmett J. Scanlan playing him in Syfy’sKryptonseason 2, and while a spin-off with Scanlan reprising his role was once planned, it was canceled alongsideKrypton.
As Lobo’s role inKryptonsuggests, the character is an interstellar mercenary and bounty hunter who istypically tied to Superman. Like the Man of Steel himself, Lobo is the last known survivor of his planet (Czarnia). But unlike Kal-El, who is thought to be the last one standing from Krypton due to tragedy, Lobo killed all the other Czarnians. First appearing in 1983’sOmega Men#3, Lobo’s powers have changed significantly over the years, but have a couple of constants. Having proved his strength can almost match Superman on several occasions, the fact that Lobo is banned from heaven and hell means he’s immortal.
Guy Ritchie was announced as the director of a proposedLobomovie back in 2009, hoping to bring an “irreverent, gruff tone” similar to his work onLock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Alongside Warner Bros. reportedly eying a PG-13 rating, Ritchie eventually left the project. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was later linked to playing Lobo around 2012, but instead went on toplay Black Adam inShazam!. This wasn’t the end of Lobo’s cinematic journey, though. In 2018, Michael Bay was tipped to lead aLobomovie after being inspired by the success of Tim Miller’sDeadpool.
Speaking of the “Merc With a Mouth”, some see Lobo as DC’s answer to Deadpool thanks to his healing ability. Lobo has evolved into more of a wise-cracking antihero than an out-and-out villain, although it remains to be seen which routeSuperwomandirector Craig Gillespie takes the character down. Either way, the high-profile casting of Momoa suggests the character is being set up for further adventures akin to Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), and The Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría) appearing inSuperman. Similarly,Alcock’s Kara Zor-El is rumored to appearin Gunn’s DCU springboard to set up her standalone in 2026.
As Lobo is a frequent friend of Guy Gardner,Fillion’s role inSupermandefinitely feels like an in for the character. With the Metropolis Marvel already being established in this world, Lobo can expand Superman’s backstory without the need for another generic origin story. Gunn has shown his affection for Lobo in the past, sharing a picture of the character back in 2022 and sparking rampant speculation that Momoa would be playing him. The DCU overlord threw cold water on the idea when he said,“Jason will not play two characters despite what you guys might think,”in January 2023. Thankfully, he won’t be playing two characters in the DCU.
Jason Momoa is Made for Lobo
Many will remember Momoa as the DCEU’s Aquaman. Although the dark, gritty franchise reinvented many classic DC characters, few had an overhaul like Aquaman. Casting against type of the typically blonde Arthur Curry, Momoa brought a more serious edge to the King of the Seven Seas. Still, it felt like there were elements of the wisecracking Lobo beneath the surface. Momoa brought comedy to his iteration of Aquaman, and with Lobo’s name being a Czarnian translation of “he who devours your entrails and thoroughly enjoys it,” fans can expect an equally comedic performance. More than this, Momoa has thehighest-grossing DC movie of all timeunder his belt in the form ofAquaman.
Even when he was still Aquaman, Momoa had been lobbying hard to play Lobo for Warner Bros. Before he’d been cast as Aquaman forBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Momoa thought Zack Snyder was offering him the role of Lobo. Momoa has called Lobo his ‘favorite’ comic book character, posting the following on Instagram:
“So Lobo was…I collect comics, and I don’t do so much anymore, but he was always my favorite, and I always wanted to play Lobo, because I’m like, ‘Hello? It’s the perfect role.’ I mean listen. If they call and ask me to play him, it’s a f*ck yeah.”
Gunn was equally eager to seeMomoa take on the role of Lobo, replying with, “Welcome, my friend,” and a motorcycle emoji. Momoa has a love for motorbikes and headed up HBO’sOn the Roam, which is lucky because Lobo is known for riding around on his ‘Spacehog’ that travels faster than light and lets him breathe in space.
It’s no secret that the DCU looks to be taking some cues from the Marvel Cinematic Universe in terms of building an expansive universe, and with it, Gunn will likely be looking at the franchise’s successes and failures. Looking at how 2024’sDeadpool & Wolverinebecame thehighest-grossing R-rated movie of all time,Lobocould follow in its footsteps. Gunn has shown he isn’t afraid of an R-rating thanks to 2021’sThe Suicide Squad.Despite that film underperforming at the box office, it seems inevitable that any form ofLobostandalone would go for a gritty R-rating. Similarly, aLobomovie could be DC’s answer toThe Punisher.
It looked like there were once plans tokeep Momoa in the frame as Aquamanthanks to the cliffhanger ending of Andy Muschietti’sThe Flash, but instead, the critical and commercial panning ofAquaman and the Lost Kingdommarked the unfortunate end of the DCEU as fans knew it. There have been complaints that the DCU isn’t completely starting afresh thanks to the likes ofPeacemakerandCreature Commandos, but Momoa’s casting as Lobo brings the best of both worlds thanks to a bankable star and a beloved character audiences have been begging to see for years. If anything else, there’s still something of a connective tissue between Aquaman and Lobo thanks to the latter’s love of space dolphins.
