The DC Universe may have started with Superman, but James Gunn and Peter Safran are thinking much bigger than one hero. The franchise has expanded to the movies and TV.
Now, an unexpected new project has quietly emerged as one of its most interesting.
DCU Is Taking A Different Path Than Fans Expected
In a recent interview, DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran seemed to confirm that the much-anticipated Daily Planet-focused spinoff series about Jimmy Olsen will start shooting this year. What was even more surprising is that Safran announced that Gorilla Grodd will be a big part of the project. So, it’s clear that the show will give fans with a very different kind of DC story.
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“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,” he told GoodNerd23. It’s the kind of news that surprises people, in a good way. DC Studios continues to develop the world slowly but surely.
Safran stressed that the studio’s focus is always and will continue to be on strong storytelling, not on putting together its biggest superhero cast. “It’s really important for us, like with everything, to get the scripts right, to get the story right. We’re not in any rush. We want to do it right, we want to do it well. And we want the stories to be crafted in a beautiful fashion.”
That attitude is becoming more apparent. This Jimmy Olsen series is part of a slate of upcoming projects, like ‘Supergirl’, ‘Lanterns’, ‘Clayface’, and ‘The Brave and the Bold’, that will feature other corners of the DC Universe that get less attention.
The series will not follow the exploits of Superman but rather the Daily Planet reporters who are investigating unusual and dangerous cases involving metahumans. The idea is even more interesting when Gorilla Grodd is added.
The hyper-intelligent telepathic gorilla is one of the most powerful villains in DC and is often linked with The Flash. His role as a central figure in a mystery-based show makes this project really pop off the shelf from the other projects on the DCU slate.
Why The Series Could Become A Surprise Hit
One of the most interesting things about the project is that it’s not so much a traditional superhero show. It’s different. It has been previously reported as a mockumentary in the tradition of true crime, with the journalists uncovering strange events in a world overrun with superhumans.
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So if that’s the plan, it could provide viewers with a new way to experience the DC Universe and introduce the franchise in novel ways. David Corenswet and Rachel Brosnahan are not expected to be there, but familiar Daily Planet faces may appear.
Some characters, like Perry White, Cat Grant, and Steve Lombard, would help keep the big picture of the franchise alive while not taking the spotlight off Jimmy. At this time, most of the details are still a mystery. But one thing is becoming more and more obvious: DC Studios does not want to create a predictable universe.
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