Jason Momoa’s dream to play comic book favourite Lobo has finally been fulfilled with the release of Supergirl in cinemas today.
So passionate was the US actor to portray the DC Comics antihero on the big screen that he texted James Gunn the same day the director was announced as co-head of DC Studios back in 2022.
On the anniversary of Lobo, I can’t help but think of a text I received from Jason Momoa on the morning it was announced Peter & I were the heads of DC Studios — the day Jason & I first discussed him joining the DCU as Lobo. I’ve loved watching Jason bring him to life & can’t… pic.twitter.com/8qvmIHOMho
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) March 10, 2025
Adding to that, Momoa rose to Hollywood stardom by playing DC’s Aquaman in six films for the studio. But Lobo, Momoa tells Rolling Stone AU/NZ, was always the dream role.
“It’s a total pinch-me moment,” he says.
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In a sit-down chat, the Hawaiian-born star tells Rolling Stone AU/NZ about stepping into Lobo’s (admittedly very big) shoes, working alongside Australian star Milly Alcock and director Craig Gillespie, and wanting to launch a Lobo franchise.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ: Congratulations on Supergirl! It’s very obvious you’re having a good time in this film. We know the lore — you sent this text off as soon as Supergirl got greenlit. How does it feel now to know this dream has officially come true?
Jason Momoa: It’s a total pinch-me moment. Thinking back to when I was a little boy with comics — I still have them — and being able to play this character one day and sit down with my kids. They’re 19 and 18 now. We’re going to go see it together at the premiere in London in two weeks — I haven’t even seen the movie yet. When you play these superhero roles, you get to share that with your kids. That’s the fun of it.
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Your take on Lobo feels very rockstar. I’m thinking Gene Simmons, Dani Filth, Ozzy Osbourne — and the film wrapped just weeks before you hosted the Birmingham concert for Ozzy, right?
Yeah. That was another moment where I thought, this is about as big as it gets. To be on stage and introduce someone like that to the world, to be part of that whole thing, it was unbelievable.
Lobo
With a character like Lobo, who is very much that rock star archetype in the comics, how much do you lean into the source material versus putting your own stamp on it?
You consume it all, you sponge it all in, and then it just comes out. After three hours in makeup, once you put all that on and you take a look in the mirror, you really get to go play and do some wild stuff. Because I’m in relatively few scenes, every scene you could feel more and more coming out. You can’t take it home with you and keep playing — you have to let it go each time. It’s scary, you get nervous, but you bring all that in, and then you just tear it up.
Tell me about working with our fellow Australians — Craig Gillespie and Milly Alcock.
I mean, wonderful. Milly is just landing on her feet, mate! This is a massive movie, and I think she did an amazing job. There are some seriously vulnerable moments in this film — I could not have done what she did at that age. There’s just no way. I’m proud of her.
Milly Alcock as Supergirl
And Craig — I had a lot of fun. What you want in a director is someone who lets you play and makes you feel safe. He rarely pulled me back; he pushed me to go further. We have stuff from those sessions that I hope someday sees the light of day. He let me really discover it and find it, whether we used it or not. He encouraged that, and that’s a really good feeling.
Momoa and Craig Gillespie on set
Do you consider this a bucket list moment ticked, or do you want to explore Lobo further? Sequel, spin-off — are you in?
Oh yeah, 100%. I’d model it the same way Aquaman worked — you appear in Batman v Superman, then Justice League, and if people like you, they’ll build toward a solo movie. They’re not going to sink millions into something without testing the waters first. They want a great story, and they want to know people like the character. But I’m definitely down.
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Supergirl is in cinemas nationwide now.
