Aquaman star Jason Momoa says he met with Avengers: Infinity War directors Anthony and Joe Russo for a Marvel villain role, but that it didn’t work out. The actor is in attendance at San Diego Comic-Con 2018 this week, promoting the upcoming release of James Wan’s Aquaman solo movie.
Momoa first rose to fame in TV shows like Baywatch, Stargate: Atlantis, and Game of Thrones, and it seemed inevitable that sooner or later he would land a major leading movie role. Sure enough, he was eventually cast as Arthur Curry in the DC Extended Universe, making a cameo appearance in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and then debuting properly in last year’s Justice League.
Speaking to EW, Momoa once again recapped his audition to play Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy, saying that it was “super cool” but “didn’t work out.” Intriguingly, though, he says that he had a great meeting with the Russos, who also directed Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, and next year’s Avengers 4. While he didn’t specify the character, Momoa said that he believed the Russos wanted him for a villain role:
It’s not the first time that Momoa has lamented being typecast as brutish, mostly non-verbal characters who punch first and ask questions later. His characters in Stargate: Atlantis and Game of Thrones both fit that general persona, and his frustration at being unable to find other roles led him to write and direct his own independent movie, Road to Paloma, in which he played a Native American man who goes on the run after avenging his mother’s murder. In a 2014 interview with Zap2It, Momoa explained that his determination to play different kinds of characters was the reason he turned down the role of Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy:
What other superhero parts have you tried out for over the years?
I met the Russo brothers, who are amazing. It was one of the best meetings I’ve ever had. I was going to do something with them, which unfortunately didn’t work out.
Can you say what character it was?
I don’t know. It was going to be a villain, I think. People always want to hire me to play a villain, you know?
Of course, Momoa is colored up and has his shirt off again in Aquaman, but Arthur Curry is a considerably more complex character than, say, Khal Drogo. It’s difficult to guess which Marvel villain role he was up for; depending on when the meeting took place, it could have been for a character like Brock Rumlow/Crossbones in The Winter Soldier, or even a villain that didn’t end up being featured. One name that immediately comes to mind is Spider-Man villain Kraven the Hunter - but then again, perhaps we’re guilty of typecasting too!
“I think it’s perfectly cast. Dave [Bautista] is perfect for that role, for Drax. It didn’t really fit in my time because I’ve done so many things where I don’t say much and I’m colored up and I have my shirt off again. I made a conscious choice to turn down some movies that were action-based to direct Road to Paloma so people could see that side.”
More: Aquaman: Every Update You Need To Know
Source: EW
