As Superman tears it up at the box office, plans may be underway for some TV spinoffs to kick off the new DC Universe!
After months of hype, Superman finally debuted on July 11. The James Gunn-written and directed film is not only a fresh start for Superman but the kick-off to the new DC Cinematic Universe with plans for scores of films to come. The movie had a strong opening with a $122 million score over its first weekend in the US, resulting in a $217 million opening worldwide.
It’s no surprise that DC and Warner Bros are already hoping to expand this into TV shows, much like Marvel Studios have done with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Plans are already underway for Lanterns, a series based on the Green Lantern Corps that will feature Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan, Aron Pierre as Jon Stewart and Nathan Fillion reprising his big-screen role as Guy Gardner.
Now, however, it seems that Superman may have inspired two spinoff shows featuring two surprisingly fun characters!
Who might get Superman spin offs?
Per a new article from the Wall Street Journal, James Gunn is considering TV spin-offs on Jimmy Olsen (played by Skyler Gisondo) and Mr. Terrific (who was played by Edi Gathegi). It may seem surprising to build two shows off supporting characters, but not so much if you’ve seen the movie.
One of the best parts of the film was Mr. Terrific with Gathegi stealing every scene as the super-genius, imbuing the role with confidence and living up to his name. The comics have shown that Michael Holt as this millionaire tech-backed hero who promotes the mantra of “Fair Play” is full of potential, and the character's role in Superman brought that potential to the big screen. That’s also excellent scope for a TV show to explore the character even more so, with Gathegi well-suited for the lead role.
Likewise, Gisondo was a surprise as Jimmy, the longtime comic relief character who gets some heroic moves here, including a surprise relationship. Jimmy has had some comic books in the past that put him in the middle of often comedic and wild adventures, which he handles with his trademark humor and surprising smarts.
A Jimmy Olsen TV show would give Gunn a chance to show some offbeat parts of the DC Universe, the smaller characters like, say, Blue Devil or others. The idea of Jimmy investigating stories involving smaller DC Comics faces would be terrific and offer some offbeat fun.
These are only in the planning stages so it's unsure if they will go through or not. They would depend on both Gathegi and Gisondo’s schedules and if HBO Max would go for them. However, it shows how Gunn and Warner Bros. are hoping to build this new DC Universe into a franchise to rival the MCU, which includes much more of a TV presence in the future. With Peacemaker season 2 on its way this summer, that live-action TV arm of the DCU is set to debut in a big way.
Mr. Terrific has history on the small screen, with Echo Kellum playing him in The CW's Arrow from seasons 4 through 8. Jimmy Olsen, however, has appeared in a number of TV shows over the years, including Adventures of Superman, Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Smallville, Supergirl, and most recently, Superman and Lois.
Superman is now playing in theaters.
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