Movies
Is Jason Momoa set to leave Aquaman?
The upcoming Aquaman sequel has reportedly tested poorly at early test screenings, so where does that leave Jason Momoa?
Jason Momoa’s future as Aquaman looks to be in doubt following word that the yet to be released ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’ has received poor reviews at test screenings.
The first Aquaman film was released in 2018, grossing over $1 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film based on a DC Comics character, and the fifth-highest grossing film of 2018.
The sequel’s title was announced in June 2021, but since then the film has experienced countless delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, post-production and financial setbacks.
Jason Momoa’s future as Aquaman
So far, the news isn’t good when it comes to ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’, which is set to be released on December 25, 2023.
According to a recent update, test screenings have gone poorly so far, with one insider claiming the film is “boring, not as good as the first, and potentially one of the worst DCEU movies.”
“I’ll be honest, we’re half a dozen test screenings in and it’s not looking great. I’ve consistently heard over the last half year or so that it’s boring, not as good as the first, and potentially one of the worst DCEU movies,” wrote ViewerAnon.
This view was endorsed by Big Screen Leaks (BSL), who wrote: “It brings me no joy to back him up and tell you that test screenings for this film have not been good. Really hoping [James] Wan fixes this movie before December.”
As a result, insider Jeff Sneider believes that Momoa’s time as Aquaman is over, and that the only reason the announcement hasn’t been made is that the film has not yet been released.
“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,” wrote Sneider.
Who is Lobo?
Sneider says that Momoa will become the character Lobo, a cosmic mercenary and bounty hunter who tends to have a complicated relationships with some heroes, moving forward.
The character first appeared in June 1983 before falling out of favor with writers, who attempted to use him as a parody of the “grim and gritty’ superhero stories of the 1990s. This resulted in a higher profile in DC Comics.
There are also rumors that Lobo could be the villain in ‘SuperMan: Legacy’, a reboot movie of the Man of Steel that is set to be released in 2025. The film is expected to be the first big movie in the first chapter of the upcoming DCU.