Jason Momoa Almost Rejected Auditioning For Batman Before Winning Hearts As Aquaman – You Won’t Believe Why

Jason Momoa nearly rejected an audition for Batman’s role before playing Aquaman, and his explanation makes the story even more interesting.

- December 2, 2025 | 11:53 AM IST

Aquaman is one of those flashy comic book superheroes who storms into the story with a force that almost feels unreal, but the man standing at the center of it, Jason Momoa, almost became something completely different. He nearly walked into the DC world wearing the cape and cowl instead of gripping a trident, and the truth behind it hits harder than a tidal wave.

Jason Momoa Almost Rejected Auditioning For Batman

Jason Momoa walked into Hollywood already carved like a legend, as he is tall, muscular, and carries hair that moves like it has its own heartbeat. So when the DCEU opened its doors, it felt natural that he would take on a superhero. His first real splash as Arthur Curry in Justice League set everything in motion, and soon his solo Aquaman movie exploded past $1 billion worldwide. The sequel might have sunk, but the first one crowned him in the eyes of fans everywhere.

But then comes the part that rattles the ground, which makes his confession feel like a lightning strike. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he revealed that he had actually auditioned for Batman in the DCEU and needed considerable convincing even to attend the audition.

His words hit harder than a wave against a rock as he said, “I almost didn’t go. I was like, ‘This is bullshit. I’m not a white guy. I ain’t playing Batman’. Even if I do, I don’t even want to. It’s like an American playing James Bond, you know? I almost didn’t do it.”

The Shocking Way Momoa Played Batman In His Audition

Batman, or rather Bruce Wayne, had always been shown as the wealthy white heir of Gotham, and nothing about that shifted in the DCEU, where Ben Affleck ultimately claimed the role. Momoa sensed all of this but walked into the audition anyway and refused to play it straight. “In the meeting, I just played it as if Batman had died in an alley and some thug picked up his suit and put it on,” he explained, “I just played him as a smart ass, jaded and sarcastic, and that’s when Zack was like, ‘I have an idea…’”

jason momoa auditioning for the batman 💀 pic.twitter.com/HSIe2ExK3K

— Morgan🔻 (@callouswayne) March 26, 2023

Jason Momoa’s Era As Aquaman & The Uncertain Future

Apparently, Momoa’s looseness is what sparked Zack Snyder’s idea, the idea that transformed him into Aquaman. That talk must have happened before 2014, long before the world knew what was coming.

Later, Momoa went on to play the role five times, six if you count Zack Snyder’s cut, seven if you count The Lego Movie 2, and at this point, you might as well, because every little piece shaped his legacy. However, the tides changed when James Gunn arrived and wiped the DCEU clean. Some characters survived, but Aquaman did not get that guarantee.

There remains a slim chance he surfaces again, since he was the only post-Justice League newcomer to deliver a solo triumph, and because he looks tailor-made for superhero armor. Still, with Gunn taking the helm, the odds feel thin. Yet considering he never intended to audition, and never wanted Batman in the first place, Momoa walked away with a legacy that refuses to sink.

New very early costume test shot of Jason Momoa as Aquaman from #ZackSnydersJusticeLeague shared by Fabian Wagner! 🔱 #ZSJL pic.twitter.com/PcA0bZzUgm

— The Aquaverse 🔱 (@AquamanUniverse) November 16, 2020