There’s More to Jason Momoa’s Lobo Than You Think
SPOILER ALERT: The following article contains spoilers from Supergirl.
Supergirlis a film that focuses on the complex, often destructive relationship Kara and Ruthye have with grief.
And then there’s Lobo.
When it was announced that Jason Momoa would be playing the Last Czarnian in Supergirl, I had a lot of thoughts. My initial reaction was excitement since his Aquaman was easily one of the best parts of the DCEU. Plus, his look, attitude and general presence already felt like a real-life version of Lobo, so the idea of Momoa playing the part made sense.
However, I also had some questions. I knew that Supergirl would be adapting Tom King and Bilquis Evely’sSupergirl: Woman of Tomorrowcomic, and I wasn’t sure how Lobo would fit into the story. The crude and violent bounty hunter was not in the original comic book. Yes, Lobo was a part ofTom King’s initial pitch for the comic,but that was before the story evolved and became a cosmic odyssey with Ruthye and Kara. It’s a story about the relationship between the two young women, and what each teaches the other one about grief. I’m always up for more Jason Momoa, but I had to wonder how Lobo would fit into the film’s narrative.
Now that I’ve seen Supergirlquite a few times, it all makes sense. The character not only serves the film’s story, but he also gives us plenty to think about with the film’s message and Lobo’s place in the larger DC Universe.
There’s a moment in Supergirl I constantly think back to. It’s when Kara and Ruthye are on Planet Bilquis, and Kara is comparing herself to her cousin.
“It’s not his age that makes him young,” she says. “It’s his heart. There are just some things he never had to go through. His heart is light. It’s not like mine, or Bomar’s, or y—”
Kara catches herself before she refers to Ruthye, but it’s a telling conversation that gives us a glimpse into Kara’s binary view on people. As Supergirl tells it, those who have experienced the tough side of life come out with a heavy heart, while others remain naïve and lighthearted.
It’s an interesting viewpoint, but Lobo seems to throw it for a loop. Watching the movie, I would hardly call the Main Man young or naïve. However, he doesn’t seem to have the weight of the world on his shoulders the way that Kara and Ruthye do. There are a few ways to look at this.
The easiest answer is that Kara is wrong about the world. She presents a binary view of people, when in reality, humanity (and space aliens) are more nuanced. We all deal with the trauma of our experiences in our own unique ways. In fact, most of Supergirl is about Kara learning her lesson about not letting her grief close her off from the rest of the world, and that character arc is resolved when she decides to finally embrace her life on Earth. Or perhaps Kara is right and Lobo is just a wildcard that plays by his own rules. That certainly fits his role in the movie.
Of course, as far as we know, this version of Lobo hasn’t had a great tragedy to harden him. As Supergirl tells Ruthye, Lobo killed everyone on his home planet, but I don’t get the impression that it weighs too heavily on his conscience. That being said, there’s a moment with Lobo that stuck with me, and it completely changed the way I think about this version of the character.
During the final showdown with the Brigands, Lobo drops Krem off the ship. When Supergirl tries to stop him, he tells her, “The kid wants revenge. She should have it.”
This was a telling choice of words. If this were the comic book version of the character, he might tell Kara that Krem deserved to die, or that Lobo just wanted to see some violence. Instead, the film version of the character made it clear he was doing this for Ruthye.
When you examine Lobo’s actions, it’s apparent that he’s invested in the outcome of Ruthye’s journey. Remember, he was only there to collect a bounty on Drum Baxton. Once Baxton was beheaded, there was no reason for Lobo to stick around. Maybe he just wanted to kill some bastiches, but the fact that he specifically mentioned Ruthye to Supergirl tells me where his priorities are. He even remainsto watch Kara execute Krem at the end,witnessing it all from a distance with a satisfied look on his face, almost as if it’s personal for him.
Lobo only spent a few minutes with Ruthye in the movie, so his interest in her is curious. Maybe she made an impression on him when she helped him escape the Brigands’ prison, or maybe Lobo sees something of himself in the young girl. Or maybe Lobo doesn’t need a reason, because he’s chaos personified. Yes, we have the comic book counterpart as our template, but there is still a lot we don’t know about the film version of Lobo and DC Studios has been creative in the way they’ve adapted some of their characters.
Supergirlis Ruthye and Kara’s movie, but Lobo’s role gives us a lot to think about. It’s great seeing Jason Momoa again, and he’s giving the Main Man some real depth that I wasn’t expecting. There’s more to this Lobo than meets the eye, and I hope he’s a big part of whatever is coming next in the DCU.
Supergirl, directed by Craig Gillespie and starring Milly Alcock and Jason Momoa, is now streaming on HBO Max.
Joshua Lapin-Bertone writes about TV, movies and comics for DC.com, is a regular contributor to the Couch Club and writes our monthly Batman column, “Gotham Gazette.” Follow him on Bluesky at @joshualapinbertone and on X at @TBUJosh.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joshua Lapin-Bertone and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.
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