A Sons of Anarchy Star Played One of the DCU’s Most Anticipated Characters 4 Years Ago

The new DC Universe under the helm of James Gunn and Peter Saffron is set to finally kick off later in the year with the premiere of the animated series Creature Commandos, and with Gunn’s Superman film set to release next year, DC fans certainly have plenty to look forward to. With this new canon comes a whole new set of characters that have never been given the big-screen treatment before, from Swamp Thing to The Authority. Despite not yet being formally confirmed by the new regime, one character that’s been heavily rumored to be making his film debut shortly is the main man himself, Lobo. The abrasive interstellar bounty hunter has been but among comic readers, but he has surprisingly yet to leap film. Aquaman star Jason Momoa has been the fan favorite for the role for quite some time, but there’s another actor who has already proven to be the perfect choice.

Ryan Hurst has had quite a varied career, appearing in such classic films as Remember the Titans, and starring as Opie Winston in the hit FX series Sons of Anarchy. Having taken on more intimidating and villainous roles in recent years, like Alpha from The Walking Dead, both his repertoire and range of characters have expanded quite significantly. It’s clear that he certainly has the visual aesthetic and attitude that’s required to play the character in live-action. But given the fact that he has already given his voice to the character in animation, he’s shown to have practically been born for the role.

Ryan Hurst Already Voiced Lobo in Superman: Man of Tomorrow

Even though Ryan Hurst’s film appearances haven’t been nearly as steady as his work in television, he attained one of his more notable film credits when he made his voice-acting debut in the 2011 Oscar-winning animated film Rango. His second outing in an animated feature came in 2020, with Superman: Man of Tomorrow, with the character of Lobo playing a rather significant role. The film follows a younger Clark Kent, working as an intern for The Daily Planet and still in his infancy as Metropolis’ man of steel. Riding his space cycle to Earth, Lobo makes his way into the story, claiming Clark has a massive bounty on his head as the last living Kryptonian and initiating a dangerous fight between them. The two adversaries eventually become allies, however, as both Superman and the Martian Manhunter recruit Lobo to help them in their battle against the villainous monster, Parasyte.

In the role, Hurst proved to be the perfect fit with his vocal performance, capturing the true essence of the character with every sentence. Adding a heavier tone of gravel and grit to his voice, he brought out both the tough guy biker and fun-loving maniac persona that everyone would expect from a Lobo portrayal. Simultaneously carefree and calculated in both wit and combat, as fearsome and violent as Lobo is, he’s the sort of character who’s always having fun with every team-up and destructive pursuit, and it’s easy to hear just how much fun Hurst was having while playing him.

Ryan Hurst Has the Aesthetic and the Attitude to Play Lobo in Live-Action

Given how well Hurst played the character behind the microphone, it’s not difficult to imagine just how equally well he would do in the role were he to ever reprise it on camera. One of Hurst’s best and most well-known roles was Opie Winston, SAMCRO member and loyal best friend to Jax Teller on Sons of Anarchy. For his part on the show, Hurst grew out his hair and sported a full-on biker beard, a look that he has yet to fully ditch since his time on the show had ended. The characters have their obvious differences, of course, with Opie being more of the strong, silent type that’s mostly good-hearted, while Lobo is a lover of violence with a much less serious personality. However, with the actor’s badass biker aesthetic and previous motorcycle experience, as well as the scenes that showed off the more vengeful and ruthless side of Opie, what little the characters do have in common has shown some promising signs of a great on-camera portrayal.

Fans of The Walking Dead are sure to be aware of just how much more threatening and sadistic he could be if placed in a more villainous role. Were he ever able to, at the same time, physically channel the energy and sense of humor from his vocal performance, it would make the perfect recipe for a perfect transition from animation to live-action? Standing roughly at a height of 6 feet and 5 inches, around the same height as the DCU’s Superman, David Corenswet, Hurst also has an imposing and intimidating build that’s perfect for the character. Of course, also similar to Corenswet, he’d more than likely have to pack on some muscle for the part, and if he was willing to do so, it would certainly help to elevate the portrayal even further.

When Will Lobo Be Making His Way to the DCU?

Even though Lobo has made numerous appearances in animated DC films and television series, he’s only been portrayed once in live-action, with Irish actor Emmet J. Scanlan having played him in the second season of the Superman prequel series, Krypton. While another live-action appearance from the main man in an upcoming project has yet to be officially confirmed by the heads of DC Studios, there have been quite a few rumors that have been floating around online within the last year. Some of these rumors have claimed that he could be making a brief cameo in next year’s Superman, while others have instead hinted at him having much more screen time in 2026’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. Another has suggested that Jefferey Dean Morgan (who previously played Thomas Wayne in Batman v. Superman) has been campaigning heavily for the opportunity to play the part. Perhaps the biggest rumor of all, however, has been that Jason Momoa will be taking on the role, seeing how his time as Aquaman has seemingly come to an end with the rest of the DC Extended Universe.

From his looks alone, it’s pretty easy to see why Momoa has become one of the top choices among the fans to play Lobo. If his previous energy from his performance as Aquaman serves as any further indication, and if the fans are willing to overcome any potential distractions of having one of DC’s biggest stars in a new role in a new timeline, perhaps another successful run as a major DC character could be attainable for him. However, with everything he has going for him in both pure talent and physical attributes, and especially considering just how well he did it the first time, it’s evident that Ryan Hurst has earned the chance at a second outing as Lobo in a bigger way.