5 Marvel Characters We'd Love To See Jason Momoa Play

Jason Momoa is a man of many badass roles — he's played Khal Drogo in "Game of Thrones," Aquaman in the DCEU, Duncan Idaho in "Dune," among others. The actor has brought to life some intriguing, complex characters throughout his career. So, to learn that he almost joined the MCU doesn't come as a surprise.

Before the actor was cast as Justice League member Arthur Curry, aka Aquaman, in the DC Universe, Momoa was heavily rumored to be joining the MCU as part of the Guardians of the Galaxy gang. It turns out the actor was in the running to play Drax the Destroyer (now portrayed by Dave Bautista), but rejected the part since it didn't require him to bring anything new to the table as an actor.

Momoa turned down the role because he had played a similar character on MGM's "Stargate: Atlantis" for four years. He starred as Ronon, an alien who spoke very little and resorted to grunting — and playing Drax seemed like the same thing to him — talking very little and grunting too much. Momoa said in 2014, as per IGN:

"I want my children to see their father happy. It's not that it's not a good role, it just wasn't the right thing. I was on 'Stargate: Atlantis' for four years playing a similar character called Ronon, who was an alien who didn't say much and grunted. I've been there and done that, whether people have seen it or not. You want to stretch." 

If Momoa is to cross into the MCU, it's understandable that he'd be looking for something fresh that he hasn't done before. So, we decided to take matters into our own hands and do some fan-casting. We came up with five notable Marvel comic book characters that have yet to make their silver screen appearance that Jason Momoa would be perfect for.

We've seen Jason Momoa play a comic-book superhero — so how about a villain? Sabretooth, aka Victor Creed, is a recurring antagonist in Marvel Comics and serves as an enemy to the X-Men and the Hulk. You may already know that Sabretooth is the archenemy of Wolverine. If you need proof of how much he despises him, here's a short story: Sabretooth hunts Wolverine on his birthday every year regardless of where he is, and only stops when he's an inch away from killing him. Why? Because he can. 

Sabretooth is a mutant assassin and paid mercenary who possesses bestial superhuman abilities. The character most notably features a rapid healing factor, razor-sharp fangs, and claws, and has routinely kicked Wolverine's ass. With the X-Men regularly being rumored to join the MCU, it would be pretty cool to see Momoa bring Sabretooth to life. Plus, his physicality is perfect for the role, isn't it?

In Marvel Comics, Beta Ray Bill is the first superhero character outside of the Norse pantheon who is worthy of wielding Thor's hammer, Mjolnir. Initially a monster, the character was intended to surprise fans by becoming a great, unexpected hero who possesses the same powers as Thor, including superhuman strength, electricity manipulation, and flight. Beta was introduced in "The Mighty Thor" (1983), the same comic that appears to be the inspiration for Taika Waititi's upcoming film "Thor: Love and Thunder." 

Beta Ray Bill has a strong presence in the comics: he can manipulate the weather much like Storm from X-Men and is a member of a multi-dimensional superhero force known as Thor Corps. He has been a part of the Guardians of the Galaxy and has joined other heroes in battles against Thanos and Galactus. The superhero nearly had his MCU debut in "Thor: Ragnarok" as the champion of Sakaar but was cut from the film due to having little screentime. I think portraying Beta could be an excellent way for Momoa to be a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy as well as an alternate Thor — the actor hasn't done anything like it before, so why not? And hey, ​​his weapon is a war hammer called Stormbreaker. Ring a bell?

An intergalactic hero with ties to multiple superhero teams in Marvel Comics, Nova is a member of a police force that patrols the galaxy. He gets powers of flight, superhuman strength, speed, and durability from the Nova Force (a limitless energy field), which is accessible to all members of the Nova Corps. Marvel President Kevin Feige previously alluded to Nova joining the MCU in some capacity — the character was first set to feature in the "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie but was dropped before the script was finalized. There have been multiple versions of the character, but Momoa could play Richard Ryder — the most prominent iteration of Nova yet. Ryder's abilities allowed him to complete his adventures in outer space, after which he returned to Earth and became an integral member of the Guardians of the Galaxy during their face-off against Annihilus and his Annihilation Wave. James Gunn is currently working on the third volume of the "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie franchise — so we might get to see Nova in action soon!

I'll be honest, this choice is purely based on wishful thinking, but I firmly believe Jason Momoa would knock it out of the park as Hercules. I mean, have you seen the man? Anyway, MCU Phase 4 has heavily employed the magical side of Marvel Comics, with characters such as Scarlet Witch, Agatha Harkness, Doctor Strange, and Loki taking center stage. To add to that, Russell Crowe has declared he's playing Zeus in "Thor: Love and Thunder," so how much longer until other Greek heroes — such as Hercules himself — appear in the MCU? 

In 2020, Marvel Studios collaborators and director-duo Joe and Anthony Russo announced (via The Hollywood Reporter) they were working on a live-action "Hercules" film with "Shang-Chi" writer Dave Callaham, based on the animated 1997 movie. We're yet to learn whether the film will reimagine the existing story or be a new adventure of its own. It's essential to note, however, that the character plays a pivotal role in the "Secret Invasion" storyline — Hercules forms a team called the God Squad to neutralize the Skrull gods directing the invasion of Earth. Marvel Studios is currently in the process of adapting the "Secret Invasion" storyline in a Disney+ limited series (which stars Momoa's former co-star Emilia Clarke!), so it isn't a stretch for Hercules to make his silver screen debut soon!

Think Tarzan, but Marvel. Ka-Zar — who also goes by his infinitely less-badass name Kevin Plunder — is one of Marvel Comics' oldest superheroes. Often referred to as Marvel's very own "Lord of the Jungle," Ka-Zar lives in Savage Land, a prehistoric environment hidden in Antarctica that is conserved by ancient alien technology. The character has been an ally to both Spider-Man and Daredevil in the comics and is a superior fighter to even Kraven the Hunter, thanks to his experience living in the wilds of the Savage Land. Although he possesses no superhuman physical powers, he has achieved near-superhuman hunting, athletic and combative abilities. Ka-Zar was of great importance during the Skrull invasion of Earth and brought together different tribes of the Savage Land to help fight the alien race. With the MCU seemingly leaning into its Skrull-related plotlines, it feels like an appropriate time to let Ka-Zar have his MCU debut. Can we cast Momoa in the role already, please?