As James Gunn‘s Superman prepares to launch the all-new, all-different DCU up, up and away, a new report indicates that he and DC Studios’ co-chair Peter Safran are considering spinoffs for a pair of characters featured in the film.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Superman’s pal, Jimmy Olsen, and Mister Terrific could each star in TV series which would likely stream on HBO Max.
First appearing as an unnamed office boy in Action Comics #6 (1938), Jimmy was given his name and a more significant role in the Adventures of Superman radio serial in 1940. He made his comic book debut as “Jimmy” in Superman #13 (1941). In 1954, he even got his own comic series, Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen, which ran for 222 issues until 1982. The character has appeared in multiple Superman-related projects in different mediums over the years. Actors such as Marc McClure, Aaron Ashmore, Mehcad Brooks and Michael Cassidy have all added their own touches to the character with some straying pretty far from the nature of Olsen in the comics.
The Righteous Gemstones and Santa Clarita Diet actor Skyler Gisondo landed the role of cub reporter, photojournalist and–most importantly–Superman’s pal in the Superman and finds himself at the perfect time in his career to lead his own project.
Played in Superman by Edi Gathegi, Mister Terrific is a highly intelligent and skilled superhero in the DC Comics Universe, a mantle held by two prominent individuals: Terry Sloane and Michael Holt. While both embody the concept of a “Fair Play” hero, it’s Holt who is the more widely recognized and enduring version in modern comics. Introduced in 1997, he is an exceptionally gifted individual, often cited as one of the smartest people in the DC Universe (sometimes even the “third smartest,” behind only Lex Luthor and Batman). Before becoming a superhero, Holt earned 14 PhDs, became a self-made multi-millionaire through his company Holt Industries, and was an Olympic gold medalist in the decathlon. Holt has been a key member and even chairman of the Justice Society of America, and has also served with the Justice League and Checkmate. He later formed his own team, the Terrifics, which may well be the focus the Superman spinoff.
There’s tons of comic appearances that Mister Terrific has, so there’s a lot of different angles that you can take, and James has created a very specific version of this character that makes sense for this story. So, there wasn’t a lot of questioning for me. I trust the filmmaker, I trust his vision – the character is an extraordinary character in the comics. He’s a futurist, a tech innovator, but also an ethical innovator. He believes in the ethical use of artificial intelligence. This character is so dynamic and then he’s got a huge wound. He lost his wife and his daughter, and he doesn’t let that define him, but he also doesn’t ignore that – he uses that to fuel his brilliance.
-Edi Gathegi
The report also reiterates that DC Studios plans to release several live-action streaming series, two live-action films and one animated series per year as they build toward a Justice League team-up film. And with Superman gathering all the momentum of a speeding bullet as it hits its opening weekend, the DCU seems to be off to a great start that will allow it the grace to attempt to make that ambitious schedule work.
Sources: Forbes, The Wall Street Journal
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