Comic book luminary Grant Morrison has shared their assessment of the recent DC Universe film, Supergirl, offering particularly sharp criticism for Jason Momoa's performance as Lobo.
Morrison, whose work on All-Star Superman significantly influenced James Gunn's Superman film, detailed their views on Supergirl in a post on their Substack newsletter, Xanaduum. "Supergirl wasn’t terrible but wasn’t especially great either," Morrison stated, while acknowledging that Millie Alcock delivered a "credible job" as Kara Zor-El.
The critique took a more pointed turn when Morrison addressed Jason Momoa's depiction of Lobo. "It was, in fact, one of the worst performances I’ve ever seen in a film and quite baffling," Morrison wrote, expressing surprise given Momoa's usual caliber and the character's apparent suitability for the actor.
Lobo appears in a supporting capacity in Supergirl, a role that IGN's review suggests feels "tacked on," with his singular scene alongside Kara lacking significant narrative impact. IGN noted that Lobo's contribution primarily amounted to "a few (admittedly fun) one-liners," and his presence felt largely unnecessary to the plot.
Morrison further elaborated on Supergirl's narrative shortcomings, pinpointing issues in the second act. "The whole plot fell apart in Act 2," they explained, highlighting a specific plot point: "all Supergirl had to do was bring Krypto with her to that yellow sun world, and the sun’s rays would have made the dog invulnerable again, easily able to shake off any toxin. They needn’t have bothered chasing after the dull and low level Romanian gangster baddie, Krem of the Yellow Hills, to get the antidote after all!"
Supergirl faced significant challenges at the box office, grossing only $126 million globally. This performance followed a similar disappointment with last year's Superman and has led to broader questions about the DCU's trajectory. James Gunn's next film, Man of Tomorrow, is slated for release next year, with Alcock reprising her role as Supergirl. The DCU slate also includes the final episodes of the HBO series Lanterns and the body horror film Clayface.
Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav has previously stated that Gunn is "focused on Man of Tomorrow" following Supergirl's box office performance. Despite the film's reception, Zaslav assured investors that the DCU remains on track, describing the current slate as "very good."
DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran acknowledged Supergirl's box office results, telling The New York Times, "While Supergirl didn’t meet our box office expectations, it’s just one component of a broader, long-term strategy at DC Studios that we remain confident in."
Regarding the future of Momoa's Lobo, the actor has expressed a strong preference for an R-rated solo film, stating in June, "I do not have any interest in making a PG-13 Lobo movie." He added that he would be open to appearing in other DCU films if invited but would only pursue a solo Lobo project with an R rating.