Michael Bay’s Unmade Lobo Film Promised Wild R-Rated Mayhem
Screenwriter Jason Fuchs reveals just how extreme Michael Bay’s planned Lobo film could have been, hinting at a tone far beyond typical superhero fare.
Jason Momoa is set to portray Lobo on the big screen in Supergirl, but the intergalactic bounty hunter nearly had a much more outrageous introduction. At one point, Michael Bay was attached to direct a standalone film centred on the notorious DC anti-hero. Screenwriter Jason Fuchs recently discussed the project’s bold vision during an appearance on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused Podcast, offering a glimpse into what might have been.
Ambitions for a Gritty, Uncompromising Adaptation
Fuchs described the script as a no-holds-barred affair, pushing boundaries well beyond the usual comic book adaptation.
“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,”
he explained. The intention was to deliver a film that would stand apart from the rest of the superhero genre, both in tone and content.
The creative team envisioned something akin to Guardians of the Galaxy—if Quentin Tarantino had been at the helm. The result would have been a wild, irreverent ride, unafraid to poke fun at the conventions of the genre and even take aim at other DC properties.
Why the Project Never Saw the Light of Day
Despite the enthusiasm behind the scenes, the project’s extreme approach may have been its undoing. The script’s relentless violence and dark humour were a far cry from the more mainstream direction the studio ultimately pursued. Fuchs’s comments suggest that the film’s uncompromising style was simply too much for the powers that be.
While fans will now see Lobo introduced in a different context, the idea of a Michael Bay-directed, R-rated spectacle remains a tantalising “what if” for those curious about what could have been. The scrapped project stands as a reminder of the risks and creative swings sometimes left on the cutting room floor in the world of superhero cinema.