While the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a well-oiled machine, the newly formed DCU is still in its infancy. Fans who spent years watching the DC movies in order watched as the former shared universe ended after Aquaman 2, with co-CEO James Gunn crafting a new one from scratch. Jason Momoa happens to be in both universes, and he recently spoke about how complicated the process of becoming Lobo was for the upcoming DC movie Supergirl.
Jason Momoa posted a video after meeting with James Gunn back in 2023, and fans quickly surmised he might be going from Aquaman to Lobo in the new shared universe. Supergirl's full trailer showed him looking pretty accurate to the comics, and in an interview with Fandango the 46-year-old actor spoke about how much time he spent in the makeup chair. In his words:
I've never been covered up that much. My nails, teeth, hair, prosthetics on my face, body. Everything's covered. So I never really had kind of that experience. And then you're like 'Oh, I'm going to learn how to play Lobo. I'm gonna to do the lines, I'm gonna try to find this, I'm gonna try to find that.'
This definitely sounds like a ton of prep work, as well as fodder for some challenges while filming Supergirl. Momoa first became a household name for playing Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones (streaming with an HBO Max subscription), and then went to DC to play Arthur Curry/Aquaman. Both of those roles required very little clothes and none of the extensive prosthetics used to bring Lobo to life.
While the process itself might have been a challenge, it sounds like getting into Lobo's skin (and eyes) helped the Minecraft Movie actor immerse himself as his new DC character. As Momoa put it:
When you put all that sh-t on, and you open your eyes, and they're big, bright red lenses, all these things kind of come out.
While Supergirl has only released limited footage so far, Momoa's star power really leaps off the screen in the trailers and featurettes that have arrived online. While he's known for his charisma, it sounds like getting into Lobo's skin (literally) was super helpful on Craig Gillespie's set. The actor addressed the prep that went into playing the cosmic mercenary and bounty hunter, saying:
I mean, I just have a wealth of knowledge of the comics, and obviously the script to work with. But then after that I'm just trying to stay as free as possible to play.
It sounds like, despite the hours in the makeup chair, Jason Momoa had a great time bringing Lobo to life on the big screen. Luckily for moviegoers, the wait for Supergirl is nearly over.
Fans will be able to judge Momoa's take on the character when Supergirl hits theaters on June 26th as part of the 2026 movie release list. We'll just have to see how big his role is and if the character ends up popping up in future DCU projects.
