Why DC's Ultraviolent R-Rated Lobo Movie Didn't Happen

The writer of DC's ultra-violent, R-rated "Lobo" movie that never was has shed some new light on the project. The writer in question is Jason Fuchs, the showrunner of HBO's "It: Welcome to Derry," which just wrapped up its first season. Fuchs was originally hired to pen a script for a film centered on DC's cosmic bounty hunter back in 2016, but it never came to fruition. Now, Fuchs has not only revealed what the movie looked like but also why it didn't happen, as he sees it.

During his appearance on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast, Fuchs was eventually asked about his "Lobo" movie script. The writer revealed that it was so violent that it would have made 2016's "Deadpool" look tame. He also drew comparisons to James Gunn's first "Guardians of the Galaxy" film, explaining:

"Of all the things I've written that didn't get made, I think that 'Lobo' script is my favorite. The tone of that 'Lobo' was 'Guardians of the Galaxy' if Quinton Tarantino had directed it. It was a hard R, psychotic movie, very violent. It made 'Deadpool' look like a Disney family film, which is probably why it ultimately didn't get made, but that was one of my favorite projects we didn't get to see across the finish line, but it was a fun one."

Back when Fuchs was hired to write "Lobo," the first "Deadpool" movie had just become an R-rated smash hit, taking in nearly $800 million at the box office. So, the timing might have made sense. However, Warner Bros. was in an odd spot when it came to DC at the moment in history, with 2017's "Justice League" on the way but destined to undergo huge changes in post-production. The franchise had no clear, cohesive direction, which complicated matters.

Warner Bros. has been trying to make a "Lobo" movie happen for years. Around 2009, Guy Ritchie ("Sherlock Holmes") was being eyed to direct. He fell away, though, and the project changed hands several more times after that, with Brad Peyton ("Rampage") also on board to write and direct at one point. The live-action series "Krypton" similarly featured a version of Lobo (played by Emmett J. Scanlan) that was supposed to lead a spin-off series that was later scrapped.

Fuchs, speaking further, revealed that he "always" envisioned "Aquaman" star Jason Momoa playing Lobo. By 2018, the film was even set to be directed by none other than "Transformers" veteran Michael Bay, which Fuchs noted "would have been equally insane." He also revealed that a Green Lantern would have factored into the proceedings somehow, explaining:

"[...] It was a weird time in the DC universe where ['Lobo'] didn't quite fit into what they were doing, but I loved writing that script, and there was a Green Lantern involved. There were all kinds of fun DC characters who popped up in the context of that."

Interestingly enough, Momoa is now playing Lobo in next year's "Supergirl" film, itself part of the rebooted DC Universe that kicked off with the animated "Creature Commandos" series and 2025's "Superman" movie. Meanwhile, Gunn and Peter Safran are now the heads of DC Studios, with the franchise fully in their hands. Who knows? Maybe if "Supergirl" is a hit, Momoa will get to star in a solo "Lobo" movie, possibly even one that draws from one of Fuchs's script drafts.

You can catch Lobo on the big screen when "Supergirl" opens in theaters on June 26, 2026.