If you thought the MCU was the only one bringing back actors to play multiple characters, check out the DCU one-upping them. DCEU’s Aquaman, Jason Momoa, has just been cast as Lobo in DCU’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. And fans are… not exactly riding this wave.
Momoa will play Lobo alongside House of The Dragon’s Milly Alcock, who is the titular hero in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, slated for a 2026 release as part of DCU’s Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.
The former Justice League actor announced his return to the DCU on his Instagram with a screengrab of what seemed like a print interview where he speaks about his interest in the anti-hero character. He said that he collected comic books and that Lobo was his favorite. So, if they called him for the part, he’d be game. Momoa then captioned the post with a simple, “They called.”
From the comments on his post, it is evident that his casting isn’t a complete surprise, since the actor has been vocal about his interest in playing the character. New DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn, who also welcomed Momoa to the fold in the comments, has also previously talked about having the Aquaman actor return to franchise in some capacity. Well, now we know.
Called it: https://t.co/YJQxg99G1f pic.twitter.com/BBgJz8Optb
— Layla | #CeasefireNow | | Superman/Sonic 3 Era (@Layla75949759) December 30, 2024
Least surprising casting announcement ever. (Not a complaint, to be clear. It’s just that it was only a matter of when, not if.) https://t.co/gHTzOzBo4q
— Noah Barnes (@Noah_Banes) December 30, 2024
However, not all reactions to this announcement are positive. It’s a mixed bag, with a sizeable disappointment over Momoa’s double DC roles. But could you even blame fans for the skepticism? After the MCU decided to bring back Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom and Captain America actor Chris Evans in its upcoming films, it almost feels like the studios are just not interested in casting fresh actors, and want to only pick from their existing roster.
What’s worse in this scenario is that Momoa’s Aquaman isn’t exactly a character that has died on screen. So how do we reconcile this casting, that too within technically the same comic book universe? On social media, one X user called the casting “obnoxious,” while another stated that nobody wanted this.
“Aquaman’s a bad guy?” https://t.co/KX2MVuZ8dc pic.twitter.com/KOvxBKuxZN
— Clifford Batteau (@CliffordBatteau) December 30, 2024
It’s amazing that they can’t even find any new actors in the whole world. They have to keep hiring the same people even though they were already hereos in the DC universe.
— Travis Conover (@TravisConover) December 30, 2024
Gonna be honest, I know I’m probably in the vast minority but I think this casting is obnoxious.
— Bryce Storbakken (@BryceStorbakken) December 30, 2024
No one wanted this pic.twitter.com/mTvWhuYJx3
— A K K I (@AkkiZac019) December 30, 2024
Of course, there are those who think Momoa, with his physique, is actually a perfect choice for a character whose name means “wolf” in Iberian and looks like that. If you were to look at Lobo’s character art, the resemblance seems uncanny. What’s more, it’s always fantastic when an actor who really loves the character gets to play it. Many fans have gone on to predict that this casting is right up there with RDJ’s Iron Man in terms of accuracy.
Wait I love this casting
— I’mma Duck (@imgoingtoduck) December 30, 2024
This casting is up there with Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man it’s so perfect https://t.co/SpWpLPslnX
— PridefulSin (@ReignOfPride) December 30, 2024
Jason always wanted to play Lobo but DCEU forced Aquaman down his throat… glad he finally gets to play the character he wanted from the beginning https://t.co/hmAFneBolf
— (@komandaerwin) December 30, 2024
Might enter top 5 castings of all time for a comic character https://t.co/EAJVIFcQwQ
— Ciri (@Magicgirl2027) December 30, 2024
I LOVE this choice!! Especially since he was the only good part of FAST X. He was channeling lobo haarrrddd in that role! https://t.co/HVrCWUeLjf
— Leo Rydel (@GeeklyGoods) December 30, 2024
The worlds biggest Lobo fan and he gets to play him. Cant get mad at that. https://t.co/Q8hSYjRQ66
— Fern (@nanaueishere) December 30, 2024
Lobo is an intergalactic mercenary and bounty hunter, one of the last of his people from the utopian planet Czarina, and not exactly a hero. Created by Roger Slifer and Keith Giffen, Lobo first appeared in DC Comics’ Omega Men #3 in 1983 but had a brief period of limbo where not much happened with his character. However, when he was finally reinvented, he became quite a hit with readers. He was even Stan Lee’s favorite DC character because he was so vile.
James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU has a lot of expectations riding on it, especially after that exhilarating teaser trailer of Superman with David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, and Nicholas Hoult upped the ante. There’s some renewed faith in the DCU’s future now. With both pros and cons weighing equally for Jason Momoa as Lobo, only time will tell if he’s able to win the naysayers over.