Jason Momoa pitched being cast as Lobo as soon as James Gunn got his DC job in a text with "ten billion exclamation points": "It was always part of the plan"

Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry in Aquaman — (Image credit: Warner Bros.)

James Gunn said it was always in the cards for Jason Momoa to play DC hero Lobo.

"Jason was literally the first text I got after DC Studios was announced," Gunn told The Nerds of Color. "And his text was, 'Lobo baby' with ten billion exclamation points. So essentially, I was like, 'I think that’s a pretty good idea' so it was always part of the plan."

It was announced back in 2023 that the former Aquaman star would go onto play Lobo in Gunn and Peter Safran's newly established DCU. The intergalactic foul-mouthed bounty hunter was created by Roger Slifer and Keith Giffen, who first appeared in Omega Men #3 in 1983. Momoa confirmed the casting via Instagram on New Year's Eve, sharing a past interview quote expressing his desire to play the character.

"It’s one of the fun things about working with Craig Gillespie," Safran said, in reference to creating Lobo's live-action look. "He’s just been such a great collaborator on creating Millie’s look and Jason’s look and Matthias Schoenaerts’ look. It’s been fun.”