James Gunn Reveals He Pitched a Jimmy Olsen and Gorilla Grodd Series Before Running DC Studios
One of the more unexpected projects in the DC Universe slate is the upcoming Jimmy Olsen television series, and according to James Gunn, the idea has been around a lot longer than fans realized.
As excitement continues to build around the expanding DCU, Gunn recently shed some light on the origins of the project, revealing that he was already trying to get the series off the ground before he ever took over DC Studios alongside Peter Safran.
The filmmaker addressed the show's development on Instagram after a fan asked if reports were true that a Jimmy Olsen series had somehow evolved into a Gorilla Grodd-focused show. Gunn quickly cleared up the confusion, saying:
"It didn't become anything. It is what it's always been, including pitching it as part of the package before I even started at DC."
The project wasn't something dreamed up after Gunn took control of DC's creative future. It was already part of the pitch package he brought to Warner Bros. before he officially stepped into his current role.
Gunn also offered another update on Threads, confirming that fans shouldn't think of this as either a Jimmy Olsen show or a Gorilla Grodd show. It's both.
"It's both a Jimmy Olsen AND a Gorilla Grodd show. And it's one of my favorite projects. We start filming soon."
That's a combination few fans would've predicted, but it sounds exactly like the kind of offbeat DC concept that fits Gunn's style.
Rumors about the series have been floating around since 2025, when it was reported that the project would be titled DC Crime.
According to that report, the show would take the form of a true crime-style documentary series hosted by Jimmy Olsen, with the telepathic supervillain Gorilla Grodd serving as the focus of the first season.
However, Gunn recently shot down that title entirely, explaining:
"Just FYI there has never been a project titled "DC Crime" in development, not even as a working title. I don't know where that came from but it's weird."
So while elements of those earlier reports may still be accurate, the title itself was apparently never part of the plan.
Jimmy Olsen is played by Skyler Gisondo, and he’s earned plenty of fans after his appearance in Superman, where the character's charm and humor turned him into the franchise's self-described "reluctant rizz god."
Fans won't have to wait too long to see more of him, either. Jimmy is set to return in Superman: Man of Tomorrow next year, which will see Superman forced into an uneasy alliance with Lex Luthor to take on Brainiac.
As for the Jimmy Olsen and Gorilla Grodd series, it sounds delightfully strange, which is probably why it's become one of Gunn's favorite projects. A quirky journalist investigating crimes while one of DC's most dangerous super-intelligent gorillas plays a major role isn't exactly a concept anyone would've expected a few years ago.
Before that series arrives, the next chapter of the DCU will be Supergirl, which is set to hit theaters on June 26.