By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Right now, comics fans are a bit split on whether the DC Universe (DCU) will be a success. Some think it will manage to rival the early Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in its popularity, but others worry it will replicate most (if not all) of the mistakes that sunk the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). However, some recent casting news gives us some major hope that this upcoming cinematic universe will be, at the bare minimum, more accurate to the comics. Now that James Gunn has greenlit Jason Momoa to play Lobo in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, he has effectively fixed the biggest casting mistake of the DCEU.
Momoa Wasn’t The Right Aquaman
Momoa was, if we are being honest, always the weirdest part of the DCEU. For example, actors like Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, and Gal Gadot always seemed perfectly cast because their onscreen appearances mirrored (more or less) their characters’ comic portrayals. Aquaman, though, was always a stubborn and regal king in the comics, but the DCEU transformed him into a mostly mindless party dude who existed only to smash beers and yell bad one-liners. James Gunn apparently wants a more comics-accurate cinematic universe, and Jason Momoa is the perfect casting for Lobo because, quite frankly, his King of Atlantis already acted way too much like this crude alien warrior.
However, if you simply look at the box office receipts, moviegoers seemingly loved Momoa’s performance as Aquaman (at least, at first). James Wan’s first Aquaman film earned over a billion dollars at the box office, making it by far the most successful film in the DCEU. However, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom earned a comparatively puny $439.4 million, with the sharp decline indicating everyone’s collective superhero fatigue and, perhaps, collective disdain at Momoa’s one-note performance as the title character.
Lobo And Momoa Belong Together
Why, then, are we so convinced that James Gunn made the right decision to cast Jason Momoa as Lobo, especially when is a reminder of the DCEU’s failures? As noted before, he’s basically been auditioning for the part for many years now. The Aquaman that we saw fighting alongside the Justice League or fighting to save Atlantis bore almost no resemblance to the character from the comics because he came off like a direct-to-video action star with tryhard “cool” dialogue that could have been written by a five-year-old. That kind of dialogue is better suited to Lobo, a character known for his over-the-top lines and bad attitude.
As James Gunn knows, Jason Momoa also has the perfect build for Lobo, a character whose ripped body is constantly on display (that’s what happens when you don the vest but skip the shirt). However, the Aquaman actor’s attitude-laced performance is much more important than his physique because this is a character whose violent, devil-may-care outlook is the polar opposite of Superman’s moralistic Boy Scout. We don’t yet know how Milly Alcock will play Supergirl, but it seems she will have the perfect foe (and, in all likelihood, a third act reluctant ally) if Momoa gives Lobo some of his leftover DCEU edginess.
Jason Momoa Dream Role
Finally, while this doesn’t guarantee a great performance, it’s great to see James Gunn cast Jason Momoa as Lobo because the actor has spent many years discussing how he’d love to play the part. All great onscreen performances start with the actor’s passionate devotion to the project, and we know that Momoa is quite passionate about playing the last of the Czarnians onscreen. Combined with Gunn’s own passion for this quirky universe he is bringing to life, the future looks incredibly bright for DC fans.
Before anyone picks up their trident to throw at us, we’ll finish by acknowledging that Momoa has always been a great superhero performer, but he has been held back by the (sorry not sorry to break it to you, fanboys) extremely limited vision of directors like Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon. After the success of films like Guardians of the Galaxy and shows like Peacemaker, it’s clear that James Gunn is just as passionate about comics as Jason Momoa is about Lobo. And considering that we’ve been waiting decades to see the Main Man onscreen in a live-action film, we’re now more hyped for the DCU than ever before.