James Gunn Speaks on Former ‘Justice League’ Star’s, 45, Return in ‘Supergirl’: “He Was a Great Character To Adapt”

The cast of Justice League looking at the camera with a black background.
Image via Warner Bros. 

An alien mercenary is getting ready to bounty hunt across the DC Universe, as the villainous character Lobo is set to make his debut in Warner Bros. and DC Studios’ upcoming film Supergirl. Very little is known about the role of the character, who will be portrayed by DC alum Jason Momoa. Ahead of the film’s 2026 release, though, DC Studios co-CEO and the film’s producer, James Gunnhas revealed his thought process about Lobo’s use.

Lobo’s role in the comic books is “very much a bunch of little stories,” Gunn told the DC Studios Showcase Official Podcast. “We needed to create one throughline, one three-act story, so Lobo helps us to do that.” Lobo, a ruthless bounty hunter from the planet Czarnia, is known in the comics for his iconic red eyes and biker appearance, and often goes toe-to-toe with Supergirl. Gunn appeared to acknowledge Lobo’s importance to the DC Universe, and expressed his fondness for the character:

“I love Lobo. I always thought he was a great character to adapt. I think he’s maybe, in some ways, the biggest comic book character that’s never been in a film. So I think it was a cool thing to do.”

Lobo Will Appear in ‘Supergirl’

While several other DC films are in the works, it remains to be seen if Lobo will eventually get his own film (something that Momoa would be used to, given that he portrayed Aquaman several times in the now-cancelled DC Extended Universe). But for now, we’ll have to wait until Supergirl flies into theaters to catch our first glimpse of the bounty hunter. Supergirl was directed by Craig Gillespiethe man behind the Oscar-winning biopic I, Tonya. Gillespie directed from a screenplay by Ana Nogueira, who is also scripting an upcoming Teen Titans film. The film is produced by Gunn for DC alongside the company’s other co-CEO, Peter Safran.

Supergirl flies into theaters on June 26, 2026, while the DC Universe launches with Superman on July 11, 2025.