In the lead-up to James Gunn‘s Superman film, the comic book director shouted out Clark Kent’s faithful companion, Jimmy Olsen. Why? Well, today is the DC Comic character’s 83rd anniversary.
To mark the negligible occasion, Gunn shared a first look at actor Skyler Gisondo’s take on the oft-forgotten super friend alongside OG and contemporary iterations of the character on his official X/Twitter account.
“Happy Anniversary to Superman’s pal, Jimmy Olsen, who debuted on this day in 1941,” Gunn wrote, noting that the character appeared earlier in Action Comics 6—though he was only known as Office Boy. “Created by Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster & Bob Maxwell. I can’t wait for you to see Skyler Gisondo’s portrayal in Superman on July 11, 2025.”
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
Outside of his exemplary portrayal in DC’s anime-inspired show, My Adventures with Superman, Jimmy Olsen hasn’t had a stellar track record in mainstream media. Despite appearing alongside fellow reporters Lois Lane and Kent, Olsen is more often than not treated like an extra set dressing for the Daily Planet’s newsroom setting. However, his side character status is preferable to his portrayal in Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which saw him swiftly unalived in the film’s opening moments. That’s rough, buddy.
Thankfully for the Olsen heads out there, Gunn’s spin on the character looks to give him more than an explosive exit. In contrast to more recent Superman projects, Gunn’s take will showcase a new, younger Kal-el. This tidbit not only lampshades David Corenswet’s Superman and his growing pains handling villains like Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor and (potential) Brainiac alien attack, but it also implies we’ll see the dynamic between the Daily Planet’s reporter trio as well.
Considering that Superman has wrapped up filming, it would be wise to expect more first-look breadcrumbs from Gunn as we approach the July 2025 release window. We know as much, thanks to a very tongue-in-cheek Threads post from Gunn that was both pro-Union for visual effects artists and critical of Marvel’s reshoot-heavy approach to filmmaking.
“This is why we wrapped on Superman a year before release and why they’ve been hard at work on many shots for months before that. This is why we start heartily editing during the shoot. It’s why I prepare so vigorously and why we only shoot finished screenplays,” Gunn wrote. “And Supergirl, which I’m not directing, is being handled the same way. I can’t praise the VFX artists that help us create magic enough.”
It should be noted that Superman is slated to be released alongside Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which opens July 25 and stars Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.
As with everything superhero marketing, time will tell whether Gunn will grace social media once again to mark the creation of a Superman film character with a first look at its actors in comic-book-accurate garb. In the lag time, we can look forward to seeing Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Wendell Pierce as Perry White, Pruitt Taylor Vince as Pa Kent, and Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
