DC Crime Puts Jimmy Olsen In The Spotlight At Max

Max and DC Studios are moving ahead on a Superman spinoff built around Skyler Gisondo’s Jimmy Olsen. The project is titled DC Crime and is conceived as a true crime style series with Jimmy front and center. Season one is set to focus on Gorilla Grodd, the hyper intelligent ape usually linked to the Flash, which gives the show a clear villain and a big genre hook right out of the gate.

American Vandal creators Dan Perrault and Tony Yacenda are writing and running the series, which hints at a sharp documentary tone that can still play inside the DC Universe. James Gunn and Peter Safran are on board as executive producers, with DC Studios executive Galen Vaisman overseeing and Warner Bros Television producing. The show is designed to follow Jimmy and other Daily Planet reporters as they chase metahuman cases across Metropolis. Clark Kent and Lois Lane are not expected to headline, which should give Olsen and the Planet’s newsroom space to develop their own voices.

Positioning Jimmy as the lens on super powered crime makes a lot of sense. In Superman, Gisondo’s version became a breakout because he is curious, earnest, and resourceful without punching his way through problems. That fits a case driven format that can jump from street level mysteries to city shaking threats while still feeling grounded through a reporter’s eyes. Bringing Grodd into play also widens the DCU map by pulling in a classic villain from outside the usual Superman circle, a smart way to tie the universe together while telling a contained story.

There is no premiere date yet, but the creative pairing tells you a lot. Perrault and Yacenda have a track record for mixing investigative beats with awkward humor that still treats its subjects seriously. Fold that into the Daily Planet, add Gunn and Safran’s broader plan for interconnected films and series, and DC Crime looks like a low cost high concept bridge between tentpole movies and the newsroom corner of Metropolis. Expect sharp episode arcs, a steady stream of rogues, and plenty of opportunities for the Planet staff to matter in the DCU beyond cameos.