James Gunn’s new Gorilla Grodd series may have just revealed a major plot twist about the expanding DCU. The show also features Jimmy Olsen from Superman and centers on one of the most notable supervillains in the canon.
The People v. Gorilla Grodd is a mockumentary series that HBO Max has recently announced. It will be a part of Gunn’s expanding DC Universe. Jimmy Tatro will play the titular supervillain, while Skyler Gisondo returns as Jimmy Olsen.
The show is based on the DC Comics supervillain Gorilla Grodd, created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino. He is a super-intelligent ape who gained extraordinary mental abilities after being exposed to radiation from a meteorite.
The People v. Gorilla Grodd will focus on Jimmy reopening Grodd’s case to investigate whether he was wrongfully convicted of his father’s murder. According to a new press release, the series will include interviews with “Gorilla Grodd’s new counsel at the Metropolis Freedom Project” (via Entertainment Weekly).
So, Freedom Project’s involvement in the show hints at future ties to Rick Flag Sr., played by Frank Grillo in Peacemaker Season 2. Flag is on a mission to gather every powerful metahuman on Earth and transport them to Salvation. Hence, Freedom Project trying to free Grodd puts them in direct contradiction with Flag’s goal. Fans believe that this could potentially develop into a larger storyline in future DCU projects.
What the show’s premise reveals about Gorilla City in the DCU
The People v. Gorilla Grodd’s official logline tells us that the titular supervillain has been convicted of murdering his father, who was the King of Gorilla City. In DC Comics, Gorilla City is inhabited by superintelligent apes like Grodd. Barry Allen/Flash was the first known person to come across the city on Earth. It remains to be seen how the show will portray the location.
HBO Max has ordered eight episodes of The People v. Gorilla Grodd. Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault will serve as writers, executive producers, and showrunners. James Gunn will also executive produce alongside Peter Safran.
