Aquaman is generating positive early buzz and the DC Extended Universe continues to expand with a slew of films currently in development. Nevertheless, the cinematic future of DC’s two most important heroes has recently fallen into question. Henry Cavill was said to be done playing Superman back in September. And for over a year, Ben Affleck has reportedly been looking for a “graceful and cool way” to divest himself of the Batman character. Now, in a new interview with HuffPost, Aquaman star Jason Momoa has addressed the rumored exits of his Justice League co-stars.
When asked about the actors, Momoa offered a compassionate response. “If they’re both out, then listen: It’s just the place they’re at in their careers,” he said. “I mean, how many has Henry done? He’s done three? Yeah, I mean, like, you want to move on. I think if I did… s**t, I have done three. […] I mean, Henry wants to just expand on something. Ben is an amazing director that is of age, and probably he’s done enough. I don’t know how to speak on behalf of them, but I had the time of my life [on Justice League].”
To be fair to Momoa, three movies technically is a long time for an actor to play a single role. However, it’s no longer the status quo for the superhero genre. Three-picture deals are essentially a relic of the early 2000s. When each actor joined the DCEU, Warner Bros. must have informed them that the studio intended to compete with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This means a trilogy for every individual character, plus any number of crossover films. Given their films’ lackluster reception, it’s hard to blame Affleck and Cavill for wanting to distance themselves from the franchise. They might view coming back as an unnecessary risk. But since continuity is a crucial part of what makes shared universes work, their departures would still cause palpable reverberations throughout the DCEU.
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Momoa specified that he’s contracted to star in at least one more film in the DCEU. This will most likely be Aquaman 2, which hasn’t been formally announced by the studio. Momoa also talked about his other Justice League castmates and director/DCEU architect Zack Snyder, who seems to have put the DC Universe behind him. Although Snyder has been met with his fair share of criticism since he kickstarted the franchise with Man of Steel, Momoa had nothing but praise for the man who cast him as Arthur Curry in the first place.
“Really, like, I’m a soul mate with him,” said Momoa. “He’s family. I’m very indebted to that man. I invited him to my wedding. I told him to look around on my property and the things I barely held onto, because there were moments in my career where you can’t put food on the table. Not being picky and choosy, but it’s hard to make it in this business. I looked at him, and I said, ‘You see these things? These would’ve never, ever, ever have happened if it wasn’t for you.’ So Zack has a huge part of my heart.”
What do you make of Momoa’s remarks about Affleck and Cavill’s possible withdrawals from the DCEU? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
