‘Helldivers’ Live-Action Movie Loses Its Lead Star — What Happened?

Jason Momoa is no longer set to star in the live-action adaptation of Helldivers. The news was first reported by Deadline, which also said it had reached out to both Momoa’s team and Sony Pictures for comment.

The film is based on the popular video game from Arrowhead Game Studios. The game follows an elite group of soldiers known as Helldivers who fight across space in a large intergalactic war. Their mission is to protect “Super Earth” and take on dangerous alien threats while working as a team in extreme combat situations.

The movie has been in development under PlayStation Productions and Sony Pictures. It is currently scheduled for a theatrical release on November 10, 2027.

Justin Lin is still attached to direct the project. He is best known for his work on several Fast and Furious films, including Fast Five and Fast & Furious 6. He also produced Fast X, where Jason Momoa played the villain Dante. Lin’s past work also includes smaller projects like Annapolis and episodes of television shows such as Community and True Detective.

Even though Momoa is leaving the project, he remains active in several major franchises. He recently starred in A Minecraft Movie, another video game adaptation, which became a big box office success. According to Box Office Mojo, the film earned more than 424 million dollars in the United States and over 500 million dollars worldwide.

Momoa is also expected to return for the sequel to A Minecraft Movie. He continues to be part of upcoming projects in the Aquaman franchise and the final Fast and Furious installment titled Fast Forever. He is also set to appear in Dune: Part Three, which is scheduled for release on December 18.

In earlier interviews with Entertainment Weekly, Momoa spoke about his role as Lobo in the upcoming Supergirl film. He said he felt strongly connected to the character. He said, “I just think I’m the right person to play the role,” and added that he felt he was “born to do it.” He also described Lobo as a character he has always liked, saying, “If we’re going to typecast me in anything, let’s put me in Lobo.”

The Helldivers movie itself was first announced in early 2025 during Sony’s CES presentation. At that time, the project was confirmed as part of Sony’s growing push into video game adaptations. In December 2025, Justin Lin was officially announced as director, with screenwriter Gary Dauberman attached to the script. A few months later, in February 2026, Jason Momoa was confirmed as the lead star.

Now, with Momoa stepping away, the film will continue development without its originally announced main actor. Sony has not yet announced who might replace him or whether the role will be recast.

Despite the change, the project is still moving forward. The film remains part of Sony’s long-term plan to expand its video game properties into major movie franchises, following the success of titles like Uncharted and Gran Turismo.

With a high-profile director still attached and a strong fan base behind the game, Helldivers is expected to remain one of Sony’s major upcoming releases, even as it goes through a major casting shift early in production.

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