James Gunn confirms fan-favorite character will return for Superman Legacy

Daisy Phillipson
DC Comics' Superman

James Gunn, never one to shy away from interacting with the fans, has confirmed a fan-favorite character will return in his upcoming DCU movie Superman Legacy.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 director is making major moves in the DC cinematic universe, having taken over the franchise alongside Aquaman, Shazam, and Conjuring producer Peter Safran. 

Not long after the news was confirmed, Gunn announced a whole host of projects lined up for what’s since been confirmed to be a full reboot of the franchise, with DCU taking over from the DCEU.

The first official entry in the revamped DCU is set to be Gunn’s Man of Steel reboot, Superman Legacy, which will drop in 2025. And though casting is yet to commence, the filmmaker has confirmed that a popular character will be making an appearance. 

Jimmy Olsen will return for Superman Legacy

Amid the many rumors about who might show up in Superman Legacy, one fan asked if Jimmy Olsen will be in the movie, to which James Gunn replied: “ofc” – meaning “of course.”

In the DC comics, Olsen works as an eager photojournalist for The Daily Planet alongside Clark Kent and Lois Lane. He has a solid professional relationship with the newspaper’s editor Perry White, as well as a personal friendship with the titular cape-wearer. 

We’ve seen numerous iterations of the character in live-action forms over the years, the most recent big screen appearance being in Zack Snyder’s DCEU flick Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, where he was portrayed by Michael Cassidy.

The character was reimagined as an undercover CIA operative who is posing as a photographer, only for him to be killed off in brutal and sudden fashion – a move that proved divisive among the fans. 

While some claimed Olsen was never an important figure, others felt the character should have been explored in more detail – and it appears Gunn’s confirmation of his return has the debate heating up once more. 

As said by one on Twitter, “Who really gives af about Jimmy Olsen, when is he ever a central character outside of comics?” Another wrote: “Unpopular opinion: I don’t care if Jimmy Olsen is in Legacy.”

On the other side of the coin, one fan tweeted: “It wouldn’t be Superman if there was no Jimmy Olsen.” A second said in response to Gunn’s message: “Oh yessss CONFIRMED.”

You can read more about Gunn’s rebooted DCU here, and check out our other superhero hubs below:

The Batman Part II | Joker 2 | Harley Quinn Season 4 | The Flash Season 9 | Deadpool 3 | Fantastic Four | Avengers: The Kang Dynasty | Avengers: Secret Wars | Marvel Zombies | The Marvels | Agatha: Coven of Chaos | Venom 3 | Daredevil: Born Again | Blade MCU | Captain America 4 | Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

About The Author

Daisy is a Senior TV and Movies Writer at Dexerto. She's a lover of all things macabre, whether that be horror, crime, psychological thrillers or all of the above. After graduating with a Masters in Magazine Journalism, she's gone on to write for Digital Spy, LADbible and Little White Lies. You can contact her on daisy.phillipson@dexerto.com