Jason Momoa Considers Exiting Aquaman Role to Play Major DC Comics Villain Instead

DC Studios has confirmed that Jason Momoa will be returning to the DCU, but has not confirmed which character he will be playing. Momoa's second stand-alone Aquaman movie premieres later this year, but he has also voiced interest in playing the DC Comics villain Lobo. According to a report by Collider, DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran would not specify which role he will take in their continuity going forward.

Gunn and Safran spoke to reporters at a press event earlier this year, confirming that Momoa will be one of the biggest names staying in the DCU movies. Reporters asked if that means Momoa will be keeping his role as Aquaman or taking on a new one – perhaps the role of Lobo he has coveted for so long. Safran said that it was "too early" to say, but said that Momoa will definitely only play one character.

I hear it’s terrible and that’s why Momoa is gonna be Lobo going forward. But they can’t say that yet because then it would be a lame duck… and DC is hoping to wring another billion out of the box office. First one was awful too, so not a huge surprise. https://t.co/VlbUoqILDm

— Jeff Sneider (@TheInSneider) February 20, 2023

"Jason always thought Aquaman was a trilogy in his own mind. But he also loves Lobo," Safran said. "He's been very clear about that, too. He's never gonna play two characters, but no decision has been made."

Momoa has been one of the main players in the DCEU from 2016's Justice League onward, but that continuity is fizzling out as we speak. Warner Bros. hired Gunn and Safran as the co-chairmen of DC Studios for a soft reboot of the DC Comics adaptations – a project that will start in earnest in 2025 with Superman: Legacy. In the meantime, the movies that were already in the works are still coming out – including Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which is currently slated for release on Dec. 20, 2023.

At the same time, Momoa has often said that Lobo is his favorite comic book character in interviews, and fans on social media have said it is a good fit for him. Last year, The Hollywood Reporter even picked up a rumor that Momoa had been recast as Lobo. However, the latest word straight from Safran and Gunn is less certain. Meanwhile, this week scandalous rumors about Momoa and his co-star Amber Heard may have executives rethinking their plans all over again.

Whatever the plans are, fans likely won't see a new direction for the DCU begin to take shape until the summer of 2025. In the meantime, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom premieres on Dec. 20 in theaters.