Jason Momoa is no stranger to fighting for what he believes in, and that apparently extended to fighting for this creative decision with his new DC role. The star is making a well-documented character switch in the superhero space, trading in his trident as Aquaman in the now-defunct DCEU for the villainous Lobo in James Gunn's rebooted DCU. Fans have now gotten the chance to see Lobo in action following Supergirl's release, and Momoa has revealed one specific element of the iconic comic book character he pushed DC hard to preserve.
Speaking to The Mary Sue at the Supergirl premiere, Momoa made clear it was non-negotiable for Lobo to be constantly puffing on his trusty cigar throughout the movie. He explained it plainly, "He has to have a cigar," and added that it took a "little fight" to make it happen:
"It's a little small thing, and not that I want to support smoking...But, he has to have a cigar. It was a little fight that I had to have. But, I don't really necessarily support that and have kids, 'blah, blah, blah.' But, it has to be in there for the character. It's a bit of a little fight."
This should come as no surprise to DC fans, as the cigar has been clamped between the Main Man's teeth since his 1990s reinvention as the foul-mouthed, motorcycle-riding bounty hunter. It's as much a part of the character's visual identity as the chains or the chalk-white skin, and the movie itself reflected that. Not only does Lobo make his grand entrance by puffing on a cigar, but he is rarely seen without one in Supergirl.
Actually performing action sequences while smoking turned out to be its own kind of challenge, Momoa said, "It's not easy to be doing all that action and then huffing that thing."
He also touched on how he approaches a character as feral and uncontrollable as Lobo from an acting standpoint, with past comparisons to Marvel's Wolverine:
"A lot of my acting is studying animals. And, putting them into your roles...But, he's definitely so wild and so fun."
Oh, and by the way, the cigar fight wasn't the only one Momoa picked. As previously reported, costume designer Michael Mooney revealed that Momoa pushed for two changes to Lobo's look during production.
He requested that claws be added to the tips of Lobo's gloves and lobbied for a significantly larger chain around the character's neck. The crew already had a sizable chain in place, but Momoa reportedly told them he had bigger ones on his own wallet, prompting a larger version with a frag grenade attached in the final design. It's a pattern that makes Momoa's ownership of the character hard to miss.
The studio treated Lobo as one of Supergirl's biggest selling points, going as far as releasing a standalone trailer dedicated entirely to Momoa's version of the character.
What makes all of this more interesting is that Lobo isn't in the adapted source material at all. DC Studios' Supergirl is based on Tom King and Bilquis Evely's Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow graphic novel, and the character doesn't appear once in the eight-issue story.
Notably, King has said that his original pitch for the comic did involve a Supergirl and Lobo team-up, making Momoa's presence in the film feel a little more organic than the retrofit it technically is.
Momoa's Lobo is stirring up the chaos alongside Milly Alcock's Kara Zor-El, Eve Ridley's Ruthye Marye Knoll, Matthias Schoenaerts' Krem of the Yellow Hills, and more now that Supergirl has flown into theaters.
What's Next for Lobo in the DCU?
With his DCU debut now set in stone, Lobo's future beyond Supergirl is already a talking point among fans. Especially when you consider that Kara herself will be right back in 2027, starring in Gunn's upcoming Superman sequel, Man of Tomorrow.
In DC Comics, Lobo's backstory ties directly to Brainiac, who played a role in the near-destruction of Czarnia, Lobo's home planet (unclear if this is a canon event of the DCU).
With Brainiac set to be the central villain of Man of Tomorrow, the groundwork for a personal grudge to drive Lobo's next appearance is already baked into the mythology.
Some rumors have suggested Momoa could show up in that film, and Momoa himself has confirmed that his version of the character has previously crossed paths with Superman, a face-off the comics have explored for decades.
Beyond that, a solo Lobo project, whether a film or a limited series, is something fans have pushed for since his casting was confirmed. Momoa is a proven star, and his passion for the new DC character is unmatched, so his own side quest could be something a lot of fans could rally around.
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