Jason Momoa Reveals the One Role That Terrified Even Him – Fans Are Stunned!
OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Known for towering action heroes like Aquaman and the fearsome Khal Drogo from Game of Thrones, Jason Momoa has spent much of his career embodying strength, charisma, and unshakable power. But when it comes to the movie that Momoa himself considers his most terrifying, the answer veers sharply away from superhero blockbusters and fantasy epics. The title? The Bad Batch (2016).
Directed by Ana Lily Amirpour, The Bad Batch plunges viewers into a dystopian wasteland where survival comes at an unspeakable cost — and where Momoa plays Miami Man, a cannibalistic gang leader. It’s a brutal, surreal, and deeply unsettling film, one that blends art-house sensibilities with the bloody tension of horror, making it the most terrifying project Momoa has ever tackled.
Inside the Horror of The Bad Batch
Set in a lawless desert wasteland where undesirables are exiled, The Bad Batch follows Arlen (Suki Waterhouse) as she is captured by Miami Man’s gang. Momoa’s portrayal of Miami Man is layered: terrifying and ruthless, yet at times disturbingly sympathetic. He is not a cartoonish villain but a fully realized survivor, making the horror all the more chilling.
Critics, including director Scott Derrickson, praised the film for its atmosphere, calling it “a meditative art film wrapped in a bloody genre blanket.” (Why “The Bad Batch” Is One of the Best Films of 2017). The horror doesn’t rely on cheap jump scares but on an oppressive sense of dread, fueled in no small part by Momoa’s commanding, unpredictable presence.
Why It Stands Apart from Momoa’s Other Roles
While Momoa has played menacing characters before — the brutal Keegan in Bullet to the Head (2013), the gleeful villain Dante Reyes in Fast X (2023) — those roles were crafted within the safer confines of action cinema. Even Khal Drogo’s notorious brutality existed in a heightened fantasy realm.
The Bad Batch, by contrast, strips away the fantasy and leaves viewers in a gritty, sweat-soaked nightmare. Miami Man is not just powerful; he’s a product of a collapsed society, forced into monstrosity. That psychological complexity, paired with the film’s raw violence, makes it uniquely haunting — and unlike anything else in Momoa’s body of work.
A Fan-Favorite for a Reason
Among fans, The Bad Batch has gained cult status, with many marveling at the stark contrast between Momoa’s role here and his mainstream performances. For those who know him only as the charming king of Atlantis or the fearsome Dothraki warlord, Miami Man is a shocking reminder of just how far Momoa can stretch — and how unsettling he can be when the script calls for it.
In a career built on larger-than-life heroes, The Bad Batch remains Jason Momoa’s darkest descent — and the most terrifying movie he’s ever made.
