The SynderVerse has been dead for some time, but James Gunn's latest casting for the DCU is another reminder of its demise.
Fans of Zack Snyder's original plans for the DCEU have been dead in the ground long before James Gunn joined as co-CEO of DC Studios and ushered in the DCU. It only started to become deader with every consecutive recast, the biggest being Henry Cavill's recast by David Corenswet as Superman.
Before the release of Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom, Gunn addressed Momoa's future as Aquaman and his desire to play Lobo, stating that "we won't have an actor playing two different roles." He suggested that Momoa had to make a choice, and it seems he finally did.
SnyderVerse Even Deader With Newest Casting for DC's Supergirl
It was officially announced that Jason Momoa will play Lobo in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow (Deadline), which means, per Gunn's rule, Momoa can no longer return as Aquaman in the DCU.
This marks the third final nail in the coffin of the Snyderverse after Henry Cavill's Superman and Ben Affleck's Batman recasts. Not to mention the unlikelihood of Gal Gadot returning as Wonder Woman.
It's also possible that the DCU's new Flash won't be Barry Allen anymore but Wally West, making Ezra Miller's return as the speedster even more unlikely after The Flash bombed with fans, critics, and at the box office. So, that's even five potential nails.
This may have been in the works since January 2023, when Jason Momoa issued that cryptic message about his DC future during the impending reboot. He certainly seemed overjoyed with the news, and what better news than playing one of his favorite comic book characters?
James Gunn's Role for Lobo in Woman of Tomorrow
What's funny about Momoa joining Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow isn't just that it's another nail in a long line of nails that is the SnyderVerse's coffin, but that Lobo was originally intended to be a part of Tom King's Woman of Tomorrow comic from the beginning.
According to WordBallon, via Comicbook.com, King initially pitched his book to be a team-up with Lobo and Supergirl but was told by his editors to "take Lobo out" of the story:
"[Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow] began as me pitching a Lobo/Supergirl book, and it was my editor[s], Brittany Holzherr and Jamie Rich, who were like 'No, take Lobo out and make Supergirl the Rooster Cogburn character.'"
Lobo's role in the film adaptation of King's comic can't be "the Rooster Cogburn character" since that's Supergirl's role with the Mattalyn Ross character being taken by Eve Ridley's Ruthye. It's more likely than not that, being a deadly bounty hunter in the comics, Lobo will be hired by Krem to fight Supergirl.
In the original comic, Kara's final conflict was with the pirates Kerm has joined, who prove to be a feeble threat to her. So, having Lobo on Kerm's payroll would provide a far more deadly opposition for Supergirl in her way of Kerm.
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will be released in theaters on June 26, 2026.
