Supergirl is about to release theatrically, and Man of Tomorrow is currently shooting. But a third spin-off of James Gunn’s Superman is also confirmed to start shooting this year, now confirmed by DC Studios co-head Peter Safran. The previously announced HBO Max Jimmy Olsen spin-off, once thought to be titled “DC Crime,” will start production later this year. In an interview with @GoodNerd23 (via Screen Rant), Safran confirmed that the series, which will focus on Jimmy Olsen investigating villain Gorilla Grodd, starts shooting soon. Here’s what he had to say:
We’ve talked about the Gorilla Grodd show for HBO that we’ll start shooting this year. That’s big news, by the way. I probably shouldn’t have said that.
In a post on Threads, James Gunn confirmed the series is a Jimmy Olsen AND Gorilla Grodd show. The rumored title for the show is American Villain, perhaps a nod to the series American Vandal. Rumors suggest it’ll be a faux docuseries about various villians in the DCU, hosted by Daily Planet staffers. In season one, it’ll be Jimmy Olsen with a focus on Grodd. The inclusion of Grodd suggests that another iconic hero of the DC Justice League pantheon may arrive soon, and that’s none other than the Flash.
Gorilla Grodd, in the pages of DC Comics, is not traditionally a Superman villain. The hyper-intelligent ape from the hidden Gorilla City is one of the arch enemies of the Flash. It would seem impossible to tell Grodd’s story without an appearance by DC’s Scarlet Speedster. After the 2023 movie The Flash bombed, the new DC Studios didn’t seem to be in a rush to announce any new Flash-centric projects. But eventually, this cornerstone of DC lore will need to appear. And this Jimmy Olsen/Grodd series may stealthily introduce him. Which makes this show a much bigger deal than it may seem at first. We imagine we’ll know more very soon.