Recent comments teased that the DCEU will be completely rebooted by James Gunn and Peter Safran, meaning that Jason Momoa will likely not be returning as Aquaman.
The future of the DCEU has been in question for months now, as Gunn and Safran were picked to oversee the next 10 years of projects regarding the superhero franchise.
Some previous comments teased that only certain characters and actors from the DCEU will be brought into the new DCU, while other times seemed to hint that the entire franchise will be rebooted and everything will be starting completely over.
A number of actors were already informed that they will not be returning in the future, while a few others' futures are still up in the air. One of the biggest names on the list is Jason Momoa, who plays Arthur Curry and will be starring in the upcoming DCEU sequel film, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
Jason Momoa’s Doubtful Future as Aquaman
Guardians of the Galaxy actor Dave Bautista recently indicated that the DCEU will receive a complete reboot at the hands of James Gunn and Peter Safran.
The star stated that he previously talked with Gunn about possibly having a role in the franchise under the newly-appointed executive's reign. Bautista added that their conversations seemed to hint that Gunn will be “rebooting that whole universe,” and “starting from scratch” when the new slate for upcoming DCU films is released:
“I have had conversations with James about that but I think the direction he’s leaning in, completely rebooting that whole universe, he’s starting from scratch and starting younger and fresher and I think you need to do that.”
It was already previously confirmed that multiple DCEU actors will not be reprising their roles in Gunn’s new universe such as Henry Cavill as Superman and Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam. If Bautista’s comments are true, then the rest of the characters and actors from the DCEU will not be moving forward in the new universe, including Jason Momoa.
Official word on Momoa’s future following Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, however, has not yet been revealed, and the star recently had some confusing statements regarding the matter.
Momoa was recently asked about the possibility of there being a lighthearted tone in Aquaman 3, to which he responded by saying, “I highly doubt it. I’m too dramatic.”
On the surface, it seemed like Momoa may have been talking about the Aquaman threequel having a more serious tone. Now, in light of Bautista’s recent comments that allude to the entire DCEU being reset and the characters recast, Momoa could have been doubting that another film would happen at all.
Momoa was also recently asked about potentially being recast, causing the star to not give a definitive answer, but rather a mysterious one.
The actor mentioned the release of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and then defended his role as Arthur Curry, saying that “(he’ll) always be Aquaman,” and that “there may be some other characters too” that he could play in the future:
“[‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’] is going to be coming out this December and then, uh… Ya know, I’ll always be Aquaman. The rumors are… I’ll always be Aquaman, ain’t anyone coming in there and taking shit, and then, there may be some other characters too. I can play other things, too. I can be funny and savage and charming once in a while.”
Due to Bautista’s recent comments, Momoa saying that “(he’ll) always be Aquaman” sounds more like a farewell to the Atlantean, and that no one will ever be able to tarnish his legacy as the character.
At the same time, Momoa does seem fairly confident that he will be in the new DCU in some capacity, whether that be playing Lobo or another character.
Could Jason Momoa Play Lobo in the DCU?
In the comics, Lobo is an assassin with an incredibly long list of names of people he has killed. His name directly translates to "one who devours your entrails and thoroughly enjoys it," which is a mere glimpse into who he is as a character.
Even though he killed every single member of his race, the character has a dark sense of humor about the death that surrounds him. After destroying all life on his home planet and killing his entire race of people, he claimed that it was for a high school science project.
With Momoa saying that "(he) can be funny and savage and charming" all at the same time, this is a perfect tease that he could be taking on Lobo. It is also likely that James Gunn would want to create a live-action adaptation of a character that has even been banned from both Heaven and Hell, as he has a history of taking "misfit" characters such as the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Suicide Squad and making them successful household names.
It seems as though the DCEU will be history sooner rather than later. However, even though Momoa probably won't be returning as Aquaman, there is a good chance that he will be returning as someone, and it will more than likely be Lobo. The actor's physical build matches that of Lobo, and some of his obscure comments can be applied to the character.
It also helps that Momoa is apparently a longtime fan of the comics version of the character, and it would apparently be a "dream" of his to play the alien assassin.
