DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran are quickly adding new chapters to their DC Universe after starting the new franchise in late 2024. Much of the story revolves around Superman and his vast supporting cast, including fan-favorite newcomers like Skylar Gisondo’s Jimmy Olsen. While Gisondo is already set to return to the fold in 2027’s Man of Tomorrow, which pits David Corenswet’s Clark Kent and Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor together as allies, the Jimmy Olsen star will also lead the way in his own streaming project.
Gisondo is set to take the leading role in DC Studios’ The People v. Gorilla Grodd, bringing Olsen back to his work at the Daily Planet for an eight-episode, half-hour comedy series. Amongst others, Mikaela Hoover and Wendell Pierce will return as Cat Grant and Wendell Pierce, respectively, while Jimmy Tatro will join the DCU as the genius-level talking telepathic Flash villain, Gorilla Grodd. Here, Jimmy and the Daily Planet will reopen an infamous legal case centered around Gorilla Grodd murdering and taking the brain of his father, King Grodd of Gorilla City. Now, the show’s star has opened up about how this series will turn the DCU upside down.
Speaking with MovieWeb during the promo tour for Primetime, star Skylar Gisondo teased some of what to expect from his return to the DCU in The People vs. Gorilla Grodd. Asked about the expectation of this series being funny and serious, he called the show “one of [his] favorite seasons of TV” and teased the balance between the comedy and the high stakes. Noting that it goes to “a place very different from what you would expect” in the first episode, he expressed his excitement for the audience to see what happens:
MovieWeb: I’m a huge Jimmy Olsen fan. We’ve all seen the photos of the new DC show you’re a part of, and it looks like a lot of fun. I’d love to hear your reaction to the expectation of this show being a funny series, because I think there’s also room for it to get pretty serious and dark at a moment’s notice with a lot of these characters.
Gisondo: “Well, you’re right on the money. Dan and Tony are so ‘American Vandal.’ I think it is, truly one of my favorite seasons of TV. I think [‘The People v. Gorilla Grodd’] is very funny, and it’s like a magic trick. They balance it sort of to preserve that comedic voice, but the stakes do get revved up, and it is taking place in Metropolis. You know, superheroes and supervillains, and I think it ends up in a place very different from what you would expect from the first episode. And we’re only a couple of weeks into it, so I think we’re all learning a lot, too, as we go. But I’m really excited for people to see it.
The DC Universe has made a point of making each new project unique from the others, most recently seen in Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler’s Lanterns. Looking ahead, the same will be true for The People vs. Gorilla Grodd, which will be something of a procedural, police-esque series, a half-hour comedy, and an intense drama all at once. While plot details remain mostly under wraps, with only a couple of weeks of filming having been completed, expectations are high for this show to bring a new flavor to the DCU behind the team at the Daily Planet.
The People vs. Gorilla Grodd is currently filming but does not have a release timeframe.
