James Gunn's Superman Movie Casts Skyler Gisondo As A Beloved DC Comics Sidekick
"Superman: Legacy" has found its Jimmy Olsen in Skyler Gisondo.
Casting for James Gunn's upcoming "Superman" pic continues to be impressive. The film is set to be the first entry in the rebooted DC Universe, which Gunn will be spearheading alongside producer Peter Safran. Set to debut in 2025, Gunn and the project's creatives have been hard at work rounding out the film's cast now that the 2023 SAG-AGTRA strike is over. Earlier this week, it was confirmed that "X-Men: First Class" star Nicholas Hoult is playing villain Lex Luthor in the reboot. Now, The Hollywood Reporter confirms that Skyler Gisondo has been brought on board as Clark Kent's sidekick Jimmy Olsen.
A rising talent in Hollywood with a cult-like following, Gisondo has become a darling thanks to his hilarious appearances in Olivia Wilde's coming-of-age picture "Booksmart" and Paul Thomas Anderson's "Licorice Pizza." The 27-year-old actor is just the latest star to play Olsen on the big screen. While Olsen rarely gets involved in Superman's heroic hijinks, he's one of Clark Kent and Lois Lane's closest confidants at the Daily Planet.
Gunn previously confirmed on Threads that "Superman: Legacy" takes place during Kent's early years at The Daily Planet, suggesting that we'll see Olsen, Kent, and Lane in the formative stages of their friendship.
Skyler Gisondo's Jimmy Olsen casting is literally perfect
Plot details for "Superman: Legacy" are slim, but the cast James Gunn has assembled for his DC flick is coming into focus. Joining David Corenswet in the titular role are Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion as a Green Lantern, and "Barry" standout Anthony Carrigan as the mysterious Metamorpho. As though those names weren't impressive enough, fans have already started raving about the choice to add Skyler Gisondo to the roster.
Immediately after it was reported that Gisondo would be playing Jimmy Olsen, DC fans took to the internet to praise the "perfect" casting decision. "Holy hell, Gunn is just casting the perfect f****** people," wrote Redditor u/ROBtimusPrime1995. "Skyler as Jimmy Olsen is god-tier casting," they added. This sentiment was, unsurprisingly, echoed by many. "At the risk of sounding dramatic, this is one of the most perfect casting choices in the history of comic book movies," wrote u/zelph_esteem.
It's unclear just how prominent of a role Gisondo will have in the upcoming pic, but here's hoping it's an extensive appearance. Jimmy Olsen was previously played by Marc McClure in the Christopher Reeves pictures and by Sam Huntington in the 2006 pic "Superman Returns." And, for a reason we'll never understand, Michael Cassidy was brought on board to play a hardboiled CIA version of Olsen in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice."
"Superman: Legacy" flies into cinemas on July 11, 2025.