Summary
- Lobo's unique persona and captivating presence make him an ideal character for a rebooted cinematic DC Universe.
- Despite previous failed attempts, the big screen debut of Lobo may finally be coming to fruition, with rumors of an appearance in James Gunn's Superman: Legacy.
- While a Lobo film directed by Guy Ritchie or Michael Bay would have been exciting, fans can trust that James Gunn will do right by the character.
Despite his status as a somewhat fringe comic character, Lobo is the perfect candidate to help lead a rebooted cinematic DC Universe. There's just something about the 7-foot-tall, blue-skinned biker that grabs an audience's attention and doesn't let go. Lobo has done it all in the DC universe -- from joining the Justice League to fighting Superman in order to win a bet -- but he still has so much more to bring fans of the superhero genre. Once intended as a parody of the grim and gritty superhero stories of the 1990s, Lobo has proven to be an endlessly endearing member of the DC roster and remains a fascinating prospect for an eventual big screen adaptation.
It was always just a matter of time before Lobo made the leap from the comic page to the big screen. After all, the character made his live-action debut in 2018 during Season 2 of SYFY's Krypton series to plenty of fanfare. With rumors of Lobo possibly appearing in James Gunn's Superman: Legacy, the long wait for a big screen version of the intergalactic bounty hunter may finally be coming to an end. However, while DC fans may be seeing one of their cult favorites' film debut sooner rather than later, it's always interesting to revisit the road it took to get to this monumental point in Lobo's history.
Guy Ritchie Attempted to Bring Lobo to the Big Screen in 2009
In 2009, it was announced that acclaimed director Guy Ritchie's follow-up to Sherlock Holmes was to be a Lobo project. Produced by Akiva Goldsman and Andrew Rona, with a script from Joel Silver, Ritchie aimed to begin filming in 2010. Unfortunately, that film never entered production. Ritchie's Lobo film cancelation seems to have come about due to the director's desire to fast-track a sequel to Sherlock Holmes, apparently opting to capitalize on the first film's success -- which resulted in a hefty box office -- as opposed to exploring the adventures of DC's cosmic traveler.
A Guy Ritchie Lobo film would have certainly been worth the watch -- if for no other reason than the visuals alone -- but it becomes even more interesting when one considers where DC films were at the time. In 2009, Christopher Nolan had just released The Dark Knight a year prior -- a film that many still hail as the best of the best to this day. On the other side of the spectrum, Ryan Reynolds had only just signed on as Hal Jordan for DC's Green Lantern film, which eventually released in 2011. While Marvel had yet to prove the connected universe approach to superhero films a success, it's entirely possible that conversations had taken place to have the interstellar mercenary Lobo crossover with DC's ultimate galactic peacekeeper, Green Lantern.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Almost Played Lobo
In 2012, director Brad Peyton was penciled in as the next filmmaker tasked with the Lobo project, having just earned Warner Bros. Pictures $335 million with Journey 2: The Mysterious Island off a budget of just $80 million. Clearly impressed by the director's work, WB believed Peyton to be the exact man worthy of bringing Lobo to the big screen. Peyton's connection to megastar Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson -- who had taken over for Brendan Fraser as leading man in the Journey franchise -- couldn't have hurt the director's chances of spearheading an adaptation for the DC antihero.
Unfortunately, in February 2013, Johnson confirmed that the role of Lobo was something he was interested in tackling but claimed it had ultimately "went away." While this was certainly a bummer back when the news broke, audiences may be able to look back at the development as a blessing in disguise. The Rock eventually got to play the titular antihero in DC's recent misfire, Black Adam. All signs pointed to Johnson being just what the doctor ordered as far as DC's ailments went, but with all the high-profile changes happening with DC Studios at the time, Black Adam proved to be another in the long line of DC adaptations that came up short both critically and financially. While The Rock taking on the role of Lobo would have been an interesting movie-going experience, it's safe to say that Peyton's film falling to the wayside wasn't necessarily a bad thing in the long run.
Michael Bay Almost Brought Lobo Crashing to Cinemas in 2018
In February 2018, several insiders apparently revealed to TheWrap that Michael Bay had been eyed to direct Lobo as an answer to Fox's Deadpool. Bay was brought in to discuss the potential of a Lobo film with DC executives, providing notes that 2017's Wonder Woman writer Jason Fuchs would have been tasked with implementing into the film's script. This revised script would have then been presented to Bay for the director to commit to or pass on. Whether Bay passed or not, it seems that Lobo won't be moving forward with the Transformers director at the helm.
While a Lobo film in the same vein as Deadpool is a fascinating concept, it's very much up in the air whether Bay would have handled the character with the same nuance as Deadpool director Tim Miller approached his titular antihero. While a decidedly played-out meme these days, it goes without saying that Bay tends to bring a more explosive element to the films he directs and -- while the Lobo character would fit right in with a catastrophically combustible landscape -- there's much more to the character than over-the-top action set pieces. Still, one can't help but wonder how a Bay-managed Lobo film would pan out. The film would've been a true curiosity -- whether you appreciate Bay's filmography or not.
Lobo will continue to intrigue comic book fans looking for something new out of their superhero movies. He's untapped potential and a truly unique character, the likes of which have never been comitted to film. In a cinematic landscape where audiences seem to be getting burnt out by the tidal wave of superhero media that drops every year, Lobo offers a breath of fresh air. James Gunn has already proven to spin gold from the more obscure comic book characters, and for that reason alone, fans can rest assured that Lobo is in good hands should he finally appear in the upcoming DCU.