ThunderCats' Best Lion-O Movie Casting Would Make It A Success But Upset Fans

When it comes to fan casting, sometimes the die-hards really do have a sight beyond sight. Years before it happened, people were calling out for Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka, and she agreed. Let's not forget how John Krasinski became Reed Richards, too. 

Next in line? Well, if many fans have their way, it's time for the beloved 1985 animated series "ThunderCats" to get its turn in the eighties revival revolution, following the endless parade of "Transformers" movies and various "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" reboots. The potential issue? While 1980s kids loved "ThunderCats," it hasn't maintained quite the same following as some of its contemporaries, and from a studio perspective, it might need some extra oomph to get ticket sales to a point that justifies the budget. And with that in mind, there's a solid argument in favor of once again listening to the fans online, and casting Jason Momoa as the sword-swinging feline hero of "ThunderCats," Lion-O.

Now, exactly how far along a potential "ThunderCats" movie is ... well, isn't clear. It's a tough property to get right. Since 2007, Hollywood has been playing with the idea of ThunderCats making their way to the big screen, with the most notable failed project being a CGI feature film that had test footage leaked in 2011,and then barely a whisker of news until 2021, when "Godzilla vs. Kong" director Adam Wingard was tasked with helming an adaptation. Momoa himself has never spoken about the frequent Lion-O fan casts, and never seemingly been attached to the project in any form.

That said, while Momoa being cast as Lion-O would near-guarantee a thunderous box office success, it would also result in a "ThunderCats" movie that fans wouldn't be too keen on. Here's why.

Reviving a dormant IP requires one of three ingredients: (1) an IP with name value that sells itself, (2) a trailer that's amazing enough to sell the non-believers, or (3) star-power to give it a boost. The "Transformers" franchise is an example of the first. The "Jump Street" movies, on the other hand, are an artful demonstration of the third — many fans never even saw the original series, and simply went for Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum.

For "ThunderCats," it's easy to see why a studio would want to jump on the fan enthusiasm for casting Jason Momoa as Lion-O. Frankly, it's money in the bank. And "ThunderCats," like it or not, doesn't have the same clout as "Transformers," or even "Masters of the Universe," for that matter. The franchise tried to make a comeback in 2011 and 2020, but both animated shows were canceled after their first season. That doesn't necessarily bode well for a live-action film. But Jason Momoa is one of the biggest stars out there, and it's very easy to see him being down for this, given his past film roles. With all this in mind, it seems like the perfect deal.

The only question is, would fans be happy with it? Because fan casting aside, the type of characters Momoa plays are not the Lion-O that fans remember from the animated series, and it's very likely that the traits which have previously defined the character would quickly get shoved aside to make way for the classic Momoa-isms.

There's absolutely no denying that even before putting on contacts and fangs, Jason Momoa already looks like he'd be the perfect warrior cat leader. The problem is what kind of Lion-O he'd deliver. 

The exact qualities that people love about Jason Momoa characters inherently contradict the qualities that fans associate with Lion-O. In recent years, Momoa has thrived in parts where he gets to play a blunt "himbo" type like Aquaman and the scene-stealing "Fast X" villain Dante Reyes: alternatively, he's great as intense, quiet, and dangerous figures like Khal Drogo in "Game of Thrones." Neither of these types fit Lion-O. As depicted in the eighties cartoon, Lion-O is a tween who desperately flees his dying planet and, in the process, gets rapidly aged to his adult form, while still possessing the mind of a naive child. From there, "ThunderCats" is all about him learning to become a leader.

Momoa does have a character whose arc is similar to this, on a surface level — his signature role, Aquaman. Presumably, he would apply a similar take to Lion-O as he does with Arthur Curry, which would steamroll the animated character's traits and result in a hero who is little more than Aquaman with fur. It's easy to see why that would engage general audiences, but it's also easy to see how it could disappoint the fans who've been begging for this movie in the first place.

Truthfully, while casting a younger star would be riskier, the right choice for Lion-O can be found by looking at someone who just missed out on playing a different 1980s fantasy hero. 

Hear us out: even if Noah Centineo doesn't have Jason Momoa's star power, he's the right choice for Lion-O.

In 2019, "Black Adam" and "All The Boys I've Loved Before" star Noah Centineo was offered the Sword of Power when he signed up for a new "Masters of the Universe" adaptation, to take on the role of He-Man. He stayed on board until 2021, even getting impressively ripped for the role, but abandoned the project after the film had been moved around and shuffled between by Sony to Netflix. 

The missed opportunity of "He-Man," though, can be a big gain for a potential "ThunderCats" movie. In both "Black Adam" and "The Recruit," Centineo has shown that he has the potential to hold his own in a hero role, and taking on the Thunderian leader would be a perfect gig for him to finally become a star. The arc of "Lion-O," meanwhile, is a perfect parallel to Centineo's own journey through Hollywood, as an up-and-comer fighting for a chance at greatness. Physically, he's proven himself, and from an acting standpoint, he's a far more natural fit. 

That said, maybe there's a "best of both worlds" situation here. Maybe there's a perfect way to squeeze Jason Momoa in here without ruining Lion-O. The secret? Instead of forcing Momoa into the lead role, put his charismatic presence in a supporting role. 

Sometimes, the key to selling a riskier property is to stuff all the big names in the supporting cast, and let the lead be a lesser known (or unknown) star. Think of "Harry Potter," a franchise where its leads were kids that you'd never seen before, but the teaching staff was packed with the likes of Alan Rickman, Richard Harris, and Maggie Smith. The same method could be applied to "ThunderCats." Have Centineo (or another young up-and-comer) be the star, but surround him with big names as his feline friends. 

As for Jason Momoa? He'd be a fantastic Panthro, a role that would allow him to be Lion-O's perfect mentor.  

The second eldest of the group and the team's engineer, Panthro could be easily remodeled as an older brother type to Lion-O. In Momoa's case, it'd be no different to his turn as Duncan Idaho in "Dune," which applied his talents to a small but unforgettable part. This would hook Momoa fans to come see the film, while also not overshadowing the main character or the project itself. Meanwhile, a strong creative focus on that project — that is, diving deep to ensure "ThunderCats" is as incredible as it can be — would be more likely if the filmmakers aren't able to depend on Momoa carrying the center of it.

Plenty of past films and TV shows have proven that no matter how ridiculous the IP might be, people will love it if the story and characters are good enough. The likes of "Cobra Kai," "The Boys," or even "Barbie" are solid proof that this is the case, and there's no reason that "ThunderCats" can't join the pack just because the source material was an eighties cartoon riding the coattails of "Masters of the Universe." If anything, the concept here has enough originality that it could really stand out from anything else in theaters.

That said, "ThunderCats" will only be big if it's something that the creative team is truly passionate about. A "wink-wink, nudge-nudge" approach will fail here. "ThunderCats" needs to be epic. It needs to take itself more seriously than you would expect. Imagine something that's between "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Avatar," with a slew of stars in supporting roles, and this could turn out to be a genuinely massive action-adventure film that will carry the same audience familiarity that both of those properties have earned. 

With "ThunderCats," nostalgia isn't enough, but there's no reason to depend on Jason Momoa to carry it, either. The winning formula is there. It's time for audiences to feel the thunder.