James Gunn’s Superman is officially available to rent or own digitally. It’s shocking that the movie was available so soon, considering that it has performed so well in theaters. However, there’s a plus side to this. There will likely be people who will buy it, watch it at home, and realize that they should experience it in theaters. Superman will be good while you're sitting on your couch, but this is definitely a project that should be experienced at a movie theater or drive-in.
When it comes to Superman, there’s a lot to praise. Of course, the Man of Steel (played by David Corenswet) is the focus of the film and maybe the best part. But the Justice Gang (Guy Gardner, Mr. Terrific, and Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl), the Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría), and Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) contributed to making this the movie of the year. That being said, everyone at the Daily Planet could be overlooked on that front.
Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo), Steve Lombard (Beck Bennett), and Perry White (Wendell Pierce) were phenomenal. Each of them played a crucial role in showing how the Daily Planet is run. If you’re a fan of Superman comics, you understand why this is important. For the uninformed, the Daily Planet is the heartbeat of Metropolis.
The Daily Planet is known for being the most honest news source in their city (maybe even the world). As you may have seen in Superman, they can play a critical role in helping save the day. Sometimes they do it by exposing the true villains behind a crime. Or, like in the movie, they get involved and put themselves in danger.
All of this is why a Superman spinoff show starring the people of the Daily Planet needs to happen on HBO Max. It's shocking that this isn't something James Gunn and Peter Safran have already been working on, because honestly a show like this, focusing on journalists trying to expose the truth while also celebrating their strong working environment, is so necessary right now. We know that a potential Jimmy Olsen series has reportedly been on the table, but why not just throw the whole Daily Planet crew in there too?
It’s clear that DC Comics shows are a hit. We can look at The Penguin’s popularity and award nominations as an example of this. But Peacemaker going from an unknown character to a popular TV show is a better way to prove this. Sure, it helps that John Cena was amazing as Christopher Smith, but he couldn’t do it alone. It took the combination of a phenomenal creative team to complete the task.
Not only would a Daily Planet show be action-packed and dramatic, it would be funny. Each character has a different personality trait that will lead to various kinds of comedy. For example, Steve Lombard is goofy, while Lois Lane and Perry White are more sarcastic. Then there’s Jimmy Olsen, who does a little bit of both. Plus, if Jimmy is involved, we can assume Eve Teschmacher (played by Sara Sampaio) will appear. She’s too popular not to be.
Don’t be shocked if a Daily Planet show is coming. James Gunn has stated that there’s a Superman Saga on the way. That could mean more than just movies. It’s a great way to explore the universe in ways that can’t happen in a movie. Marvel has done it for years, on Disney+. Maybe it’s time for the DC Universe to do it. Gunn has the advantage of seeing what did and didn’t work with the MCU and making it better for the DCU.
So far, James Gunn has been successful. Adding this to his resume could be another check in the win column. Stay tuned to Bam Smack Pow to see if a Daily Planet show is part of the DCU’s plans.
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