Jason Momoa has made no secrets that all of his DCU dreams are about to come true, but is it all down to Aquaman 2 being a mess?
Jason Momoa has made no secret that he will be playing another DC character in the rebooted DCU, as well as continuing as Aquaman for now. However, whether his Aquaman future is as safe as once believed has been questioned thanks to recent test screenings of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom reportedly not being well received. In light of that news, movie insider Jeff Sneider has not only added weight to the claims of the Aquaman sequel’s lackluster screenings but also suggested that this is the main reason for other avenues – that avenue being all but confirmed to be Lobo shaped – being explored with Momoa in the DCU.
While the original Aquaman was not seen as one of the greatest superhero movies ever made, it did what it needed at the box office, becoming one of DC’s few $1 billion movies. However, regarding the sequel, there have been many production issues, including the Covid pandemic and the disruption around Amber Heard’s trial with Johnny Depp. More recently, the film has reportedly undergone some changes due to the changing landscape of the DCU. Writing on his Twitter account in response to the news of Aquaman 2’s test screenings, Sneider wrote:
“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.”
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
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Will Jason Momoa Return Again as Aquaman?
There is no doubt that Jason Momoa has a future in the DCU going forward, but whether that will include another appearance as Aquaman is on shaky ground. Not that Momoa seems to mind in that respect, as the role he will be playing shortly has clearly made the actor happy to see James Gunn and Peter Safran taking the helm of the comic book franchise. While speaking about Momoa’s future, Safran hinted that the star would not appear in a dual role. He said:
“Jason always thought Aquaman was a trilogy in his own mind, but he also loves Lobo. He’s been very clear about that, too. He’s never gonna play two characters, but no decision has been made.”
Many decisions are still being made about the future of some long-standing DCU characters, such as Momoa’s Aquaman, Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, and Ezra Miller’s The Flash. This year will see The Flash act as a reset to the DC Universe, and even though Gunn and Safran have shared their first run of projects for the new DCU, how all of it works out is something that will not be known for a few years yet. In the meantime, 2023 still has plenty of DC movies for those still invested in the “old” regime, starting with Shazam! Fury of the Gods in just under a month’s time.
