SUPERMAN Spinoff Series DC CRIME Officially Casts Gorilla Grodd

The DC Universe keeps adding new pieces to the puzzle, and one of its strangest projects just landed a major casting announcement. While plenty of attention has been on the future of Superman and the franchise after Supergirl struggled to connect with audiences, the upcoming Jimmy Olsen series DC Crime is pressing ahead.

Now it has officially found the actor who will bring one of DC's most iconic villains to life, and the reaction from fans has been just as entertaining as the news itself.

According to Deadline, Jimmy Tatrohas officially signed on to voice Gorilla Grodd in the DCU. The hyper-intelligent telepathic ape has been one of The Flash's greatest enemies for decades, and he'll reportedly serve as the main villain during the first season of DC Crime.

Tatro joins Skyler Gisondo, who is returning as Jimmy Olsen after making his debut in Superman. While details about the series remain under wraps, Grodd's involvement immediately raises the stakes for what already sounded like one of the DCU's more unusual television projects.

For longtime comic readers, Gorilla Grodd is a fun and wild character to pull into the spotlight. He's one of DC's most recognizable villains, constantly clashing with The Flash in the comics while trying to conquer both humanity and his fellow apes with his immense intelligence and psychic abilities.

Fans of The Flash TV series also remember Grodd making several memorable appearances throughout The CW's Arrowverse.

Tatro also seems like a natural fit. Even before the casting became official, many fans were already on board with the choice. The Scream 7 and American Vandal actor has the comedic timing and personality that could make Grodd memorable, especially considering the character is described as a "hyper-intelligent telepathic ape who has sought to rule bot the simian and human worlds, though the Flash has frequently thwarted his plans."

Still, the official announcement has sparked another wave of discussion online. Some fans have joked that DC should've skipped hiring an actor altogether and simply cast an "actual gorilla" to play Grodd. It's the kind of internet humor you'd expect whenever a giant psychic ape enters the conversation.

Others have more serious questions. The biggest issue is that nobody really knows what DC Crime actually is yet. The series has been described as a true crime-style documentary hosted by Jimmy Olsen, but that's about all anyone knows. That leaves fans trying to imagine how a character like Gorilla Grodd fits into that concept.

Comic readers know Jimmy has always found himself caught in bizarre adventures. This is, after all, the same character who has experienced some incredibly ridiculous transformations over the years, including becoming Turtle Boy. So pairing Jimmy with Gorilla Grodd isn't nearly as random as it might sound on paper.

The bigger concern is tone. Because so little has been revealed, some fans worry the show could lean too hard into comedy and reduce Grodd to little more than a punchline instead of treating him like the dangerous, calculating villain he has always been. Grodd works best when audiences take him seriously, even if the concept of a psychic gorilla sounds completely outrageous.

Ironically, the online jokes have also led to another recurring fan suggestion. If DC really wanted the perfect Gorilla Grodd, plenty of viewers think legendary motion capture performer Andy Serkis would've been the ultimate choice.

After bringing Caesar to life in the Planet of the Apes trilogy and delivering unforgettable performances as Gollum and King Kong, it's easy to see why his name keeps coming up whenever a powerful CGI ape is involved. But, he’s got bigger and better things going on with The Hunt for Gollum.

Whether Tatro wins everyone over remains to be seen, but he certainly has an opportunity to make the role his own.

With Supergirl now in the rearview mirror and questions surrounding the broader DC landscape continuing to circulate, DC Crime suddenly feels like one of the franchise's most fascinating wild cards.

A Jimmy Olsen true crime series featuring Gorilla Grodd certainly isn't something many fans expected when James Gunn's DCU was first announced.

If the series can balance its offbeat premise with a version of Grodd that still feels intimidating, it could end up being a surprisingly fun addition to the new DC Universe.