Zack Snyder may have killed the character off in the DCEU, but new Superman director James Gunn knows just how integral Jimmy Olsen is to the Superman lore. Skyler Gisondo is set to play a new Jimmy in next year’s Superman, and Gunn has shared an official look.
This was his post on Twitter:
Happy Anniversary to Superman’s pal, Jimmy Olsen, who debuted on this day in 1941 (although he did appear earlier as “office boy” in Action Comics 6). Created by Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster & Bob Maxwell. I can’t wait for you to see @SkylerGisondo’s portrayal in #Superman on July… pic.twitter.com/PG7DdF7QSL
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) August 25, 2024
In the comics, Jimmy Olsen was a photographer for the Daily Planet, and was considered to be Superman’s best friend. What’s integral to Jimmy’s character is that he’s just a normal human, but he’s managed to get himself involved with things that only Superman usually deals with.
On the big screen, the character of Jimmy Olsen had been played by Marc McClure and Sam Huntington in the Christopher Reeve timeline. In Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Jimmy is played by Michael Cassidy. While Jimmy has usually just been a friend to Clark/Superman, the BvS version does a huge overhaul for his character in that he’s actually a CIA agent who pretends to be a photographer for Lois Lane before he gets found out and shot.
With so many Superman fans feeling that Jimmy had deserved better treatment in the DCEU, a lot are hoping that Gizondo’s Jimmy is treated much better by Gunn. After all, he’s supposed to be the stand-in for the younger audiences, and not only is he a good friend of Superman, but he’s also Lois’ underling—helping flesh out the Daily Planet team that Clark is a part of.
Superman is set to release in theatres July 11, 2025.
