DC Studios’ Next Big Superhero Is Now an Even Bigger Problem Than The Batman Part II Delays

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I’m really excited about the new DCU show, but I’m a little worried about how it fits into the bigger picture. With The Batman Part II delayed, it’s making things tricky for all the Batman characters to appear in the main DCU. It feels odd to see a Clayface horror movie in the works when we haven’t even met Batman in these films yet! Thankfully, seeing Clayface in Creature Commandos was a nice tie-in, but he just doesn’t feel fully realized without Batman around. Now, this new show seems to be facing the same issue – how do you introduce a villain tied to Batman when Batman himself isn’t part of the story yet?

HBO Max is creating a new series focusing on Jimmy Olsen, with Skyler Gisondo returning to play the character after appearing in Superman. The exciting part? The show will be led by Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault, the creators of the Netflix hit American Vandal. That series was a funny mockumentary that spoofed true-crime shows, tackling absurd mysteries like vandalism and pranks. The new Jimmy Olsen series will follow a similar format, presenting a fake true-crime investigation, and one of the cases will involve the infamous villain Gorilla Grodd.

Jimmy Olsen Series To Introduce Gorilla Grodd Without Flash

It’s exciting that Gorilla Grodd will be in the new Jimmy Olsen series on HBO Max, but it feels off to introduce him before we’ve even seen the Flash. Some DC Comics villains are so famous that they need to be connected to the right heroes – like James Gunn did by including Lex Luthor in a Superman movie. Similarly, if we see Gorilla Grodd or Captain Cold, we really need the Flash to be part of the story. It’s the same principle with other villain-hero pairings: Cheetah needs Wonder Woman, and the Joker or Riddler need Batman.

It was tricky finding a role for Clayface without Batman, but James Gunn solved that by including a brief appearance in Creature Commandos. Gunn has also said he’s portraying Clayface as a sympathetic, flawed character, which opens the door for him to star in his own film. Meanwhile, Jimmy Olsen is looking into the villain Gorilla Grodd, a major threat that requires a powerful hero. The biggest challenge is that if the Flash doesn’t appear, fans will likely be disappointed.

Many fans may have overlooked a detail from Creature Commandos. Similar to how James Gunn introduced Clayface, he also subtly teased the arrival of Gorilla Grodd. In a vision of a future catastrophe, we saw Illana working alongside Grodd, who led armies to eliminate superheroes. While Grodd briefly appeared in a premonition, it’s only a matter of time before we see him fully realized in the DCU.

DC Holding Off On Major Heroes Negatively Affecting The Villains

As a big DC fan, I’ve been following the news about James Gunn’s new series, and it’s a little strange to me that he’s announced so many villain castings but hasn’t said anything about who will play the main heroes like Flash, Batman, or Wonder Woman. It feels like they’re building up the bad guys before establishing who the good guys even are. The Gorilla Grodd casting is particularly odd because he’s so closely tied to the Flash. I’m trying to figure out how Grodd fits into the story they’re telling about Jimmy Olson – is he involved in some kind of criminal underworld here in the US, or is this all going to lead us back to Gorilla City? It’s just a bit confusing right now.

The upcoming Jimmy Olsen series on HBO Max is generating a lot of buzz, and it’s possible Gorilla Grodd will only appear briefly in a single episode. If the show focuses on Jimmy investigating different villains throughout the first season, it could be a clever way to introduce them into the DC Universe – but only through the eyes of a reporter. This approach allows for the introduction of multiple villains without immediately needing their corresponding heroes, building anticipation for future conflicts and hero appearances in later films or TV shows.

James Gunn needs to start connecting the dots between these upcoming projects. With Supergirl, a Superman sequel, and a Green Lantern series all planned, there’s a lot on the horizon. However, if Gunn continues hinting at other heroes and villains without delivering on those promises soon, fans may become frustrated. While building excitement is good, Marvel’s experience has shown that teasing too much without a payoff can ultimately turn viewers away.

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2025-11-11 21:10