Jason Momoa’s Worst Movie Was Created By A Video Game Legend
Jason Momoa starred in the 2014 action-horror film Wolves, which was directed by the voice Solid Snake himself, David Hayter.
Jason Momoa is set to return as Arthur Curry in the next installment of the Aquaman franchise, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. While fans wait for the DC adventure to arrive in theaters, one of Momoa’s worst movies just so happened to be created by a video game voice actor. The 2014 action horror film, Wolves featured Momoa as the character Connor Slaughter.
The film received mostly negative reviews upon its release and only managed to make roughly $12 million at the box office on a budget of about $18 million. Needless to say, many weren’t excited about this film; however, one of the more exciting aspects of it was that David Hayter directed the feature. For those unaware, Hayter is known for voicing the popular video game character Solid Snake. He also co-wrote Zack Snyder’s Watchmen.
At least Jason Momoa and David Hayter have a close bond, having worked with Zack Snyder on projects. Momoa came into his own as Aquaman in Snyder’s Justice League. His comedic timing added a lot to what was already a very troubled production. As for Hayter’s work in Watchmen, it’s unclear which aspects of the film he helped bring to life, though they certainly paid off whatever they were.
The film earned $55 million on its opening weekend and brought in $185 million worldwide. While it paled in comparison to Snyder’s future projects in terms of box office gross, Watchmen over the years has been celebrated by some who adored the original comic series and are fans of Snyder’s work in general. Hayter contributing as a writer for the comic book film only adds more excitement and appreciation from those entrenched in geek fandom.
Regarding other projects Hayter has worked on, he was a writer for both X-Men and X2. He was awarded the Saturn Award for Best Writing thanks to his work on the first X-Men film. While Hayter has contributed to many comic book projects, many still know him as the voice behind Metal Gear’s Solid Snake.
Hayter began doing the voice for Snake in 1998. Throughout the video game series, he would voice the character and his predecessor Naked Snake. The actor also has an extended live-action cameo in one of the fictional TV programs before Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Hayter’s work in the Metal Gear franchise has led him to receive other voice work in projects such as Eternal Darkness and Star Wars: The Old Republic.
It’s very seldom that fans see voice actors, much less video game voice actors, behind the helm of a feature film. While Hayter did direct a short film before his feature debut in Wolves, there was probably much uncertainty regarding his ability to direct. The Jason Momoa action flick wasn’t a hit amongst critics or fans, and it didn’t lead to Hayter getting more opportunities to direct other projects afterward.
In terms of his work as a writer in the industry, Hayter went on to write two episodes of the fantasy drama streaming series Warrior Nun. He’s also credited with writing an untitled live-action Voltron movie. In January 2022, Hayter was announced to write the film The Sword, based on the Image Comics series.
While Hayter’s major directorial debut wasn’t a hit, it did give Jason Momoa a chance to prove himself in front of a camera. The actor has since starred in numerous projects and is sought by many studios in the industry. Following his appearance in Wolves, he made his debut as Aquaman in Zack Snyder’s Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Jason Momoa then landed the leading role in the historical Netflix drama Frontier, which earned the actor an award nomination for Best Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role at the Canadian Screen Awards. While continuing his work as Aquaman, Momoa made appearances in other major tentpole projects such as Dune and doing a voice in The Simpsons. Outside of his work in the DCEU, fans can next see Momoa in the next installment of the Fast and the Furious franchise. Momoa’s character is described as being “sadistic” and “flamboyant.”
So while Jason Momoa’s collaboration with Solid Snake didn’t quite for one person involved, it did give Momoa another notch on his resume. Momoa can always say that he worked with the legendary Solid Snake, something he can bring to his grave.
