Jason Momoa as Lobo Casting Exams New Floor for Audiences and Superhero Motion pictures

Actors crossing over into a number of comedian e book universes is nothing new. Only a handful of weeks in the past, Aaron Taylor-Johnson did it as Kraven the Hunter after beforehand enjoying Quicksilver within the MCU, as seen in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). The very best profile instance of that is Chris Evans, who transitioned from The Human Torch in Unbelievable 4 (2005) to Steve Rogers in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). Audiences worldwide had no concern embracing Evans as a special superhero, even of the Marvel selection, together with his tackle Captain America garnering important acclaim.

In the meantime a number of the largest stars of DC movies have crossed the road over to rival Marvel Studios, with two Batman actors, Michael Keaton and Christian Bale, slipping into the sneakers of villains within the MCU, as Vulture and Gorr the God Butcher, respectively. Fellow Batman Ben Affleck did the other because the actor initially introduced Matt Murdock to the large display screen within the closely maligned Daredevil (2003). Affleck’s Daredevil co-star Collin Farrell, who portrayed Bullseye within the movie, can now be seen waddling round as the Penguin in Matt Reeve’s The Batman universe. 

The important thing distinction with the promulgation of Jason Momoa as Lobo is the proximity to his final look as Aquaman within the now-defunct DCEU. Simply this time final 12 months, Aquaman and the Misplaced Kingdom (2023) was scrapping collectively as a lot on the field workplace as doable within the waning moments of that cinematic universe. Momoa can be intrinsically tied to the outdated DCEU, together with his first solo outing as Aquaman (2018) being the one movie within the franchise to gross over $1 billion. In reality, Arthur Curry made a cameo look within the Peacemaker TV present, which can obtain a brand new season formally set within the new DCU, including extra complicated gasoline to the canonical fireplace of the rebooted universe. 

Will common audiences have the ability to settle for Momoa as a wholly completely different character within the new DCU so quickly after Aquaman bookended the DCEU? Historical past means that, sure, they need to. There’ll undoubtedly be some confusion about what’s canon and what’s not within the new universe, one thing James Gunn has already addressed on quite a few events, however Momoa’s new flip as Lobo has the chance to win again viewers closely pissed off by the earlier regime at DC, and the wasted potential of the charismatic film star. 

No person appeared that confused about why Superman’s dad was Zeus within the MCU since each characters had been performed by Russell Crowe. The announcement of Robert Downey Jr. returning to Marvel as Physician Doom set the popular culture world on fireplace, and he’ll be in the identical universe he already commanded within the earlier decade. There’s a stage of acceptance that actors are actors, not the characters, like theater troupes earlier than it, or within the musical Hamilton the place performers akin to Daveed Diggs and Anthony Ramos change roles with simply an intermission between them. 

A face filled with alien make-up ought to assist, however moviegoers might be prepared for Jason Momoa to reinvent himself as Lobo on the large display screen, simply because the comedian e book character did within the Nineteen Nineties.