James Gunn Reveals Just How Important Lobo is for Supergirl’s Cinematic Story

Jason Momoa is officially joining the DC Universe in a new role that seems tailor-made for him. He’ll be playing the wild and rowdy anti-hero Lobo in the upcoming movie Supergirl, and DC Studios boss James Gunn says Momoa’s character is key to making the movie work.

Momoa used to play Aquaman in the now-ended DCEU, wrapping up with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. But once Gunn and Peter Safran took over as heads of DC Studios, Momoa knew exactly what he wanted. According to Gunn, the actor texted him just two words: “F**king LOBO.” And now that dream is finally happening.

Lobo is going to debut in Supergirl, previously known as Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. It’s part of the first chapter in the new DC Universe, something Gunn and Safran are calling “Gods and Monsters.”

Gunn recently explained on the DC Studios Showcase podcast that the movie is inspired by the comic Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King and Bilquis Evely, but they had to make changes for the big screen. “The truth is that Woman of Tomorrow… the comic is a bunch of little stories. We needed to create one throughline, one three-act story… and so, Lobo helps us to do that.”

Lobo is a brutal, sarcastic alien bounty hunter from the planet Czarnia. He’s known for being violent, over-the-top, and not exactly a team player. He first showed up in Omega Men #3 in 1983, but really took off in the ’90s when DC reworked him into a kind of twisted, funny version of Wolverine or The Punisher.

Gunn is clearly a fan. “I always thought he was a great character to adapt. I think he’s maybe, in some ways, the biggest comic book character that’s never been in a film. So I think it was a cool thing to do,” he said. He also made it clear that Lobo isn’t just a copy of someone else. “It’s not an amalgamation of him and Craig [Gillespie, the director]. He’s a totally separate character, he’s himself. I love Lobo.”

As for the movie itself, Supergirl follows Kara Zor-El as she goes on a violent quest across the galaxy, joined by Krypto, the super-powered dog. The story also includes a young girl named Ruthye Marye Knoll and some of Supergirl’s family, like her parents Zor-El and Alura In-Ze. The tone of the movie is expected to be darker than other DC films, since this version of Supergirl has lived through a lot more trauma than her cousin Superman.

Filming started in early 2025 and wrapped in May, with most of the shoot happening in the UK and Scotland. James Gunn wasn’t on set much but said he completely trusted Craig Gillespie with the vision.

The idea for the movie goes back several years. Warner Bros. originally wanted to do a Supergirl movie in the old DCEU, and Sasha Calle even played the character in The Flash (2023). But after some major changes at Warner Bros. Discovery, that version of the project was canceled.

Once Gunn and Safran took over, they decided to reboot the whole thing and start fresh. They brought in writer Ana Nogueira, who had been working on a previous version, and liked her work enough to bring her back. Gunn said her script was so strong that it pushed the project forward faster than expected.

Gunn also explained why they moved away from the comic’s structure: “We’re telling a three-act story instead of the comic’s structure, but we’re keeping the characters and themes.” It turns out that Tom King, the comic’s writer, originally wanted to do a Supergirl and Lobo team-up, kind of like a sci-fi version of True Grit. Now, that pitch is finally coming to life.

So even though the movie is called Supergirl, Lobo plays a big role in it. Jason Momoa is expected to appear in just a few scenes, but they’ll be important. It’s not clear yet if he’ll first show up in Superman (2025), but that’s a possibility.

With this new take on Supergirl and a big introduction for Lobo, the DCU is definitely taking a bold turn. Whether you’re into cosmic bounty hunters or galaxy-crossing revenge quests, Supergirl is shaping up to be something wild.

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