Jamie Tatro in Talks to Play Gorilla Grodd in DC Spin

Imagine a telepathic gorilla stealing the scene from beneath Superman’s shadow. Strange? Definitely. Intriguing? Absolutely.

Deadline reports that Jamie Tatro is in negotiations to join the new live-action Superman spin-off, tentatively titled DC Crime, and that the actor is circling the role of Gorilla Grodd. Talks are ongoing, and neither HBO Max nor DC Studios has offered a comment so far. Meanwhile, the separate Jimmy Olsen series tied to this universe has not yet been officially greenlit.

Gorilla Grodd is not your average comic-book antagonist. DC Comics describes him as an extraordinarily intelligent ape with powerful telepathic abilities and a persistent ambition to dominate both primate and human worlds. Grodd’s schemes have famously tangled him up with the Flash, even though this new series appears set to frame him in a different light.

The concept for DC Crime leans into the true-crime format, styled like a documentary where Jimmy Olsen — Superman’s longtime ally and reporter — serves as the on-camera guide. Skyler Gisondo played Jimmy in James Gunn’s recent Superman film, and reports suggest the first season of DC Crime will zero in on Grodd, taking the audience behind the headlines and into the darker corners of his origin.

Origin stories matter. Grodd’s powers, according to comic lore, stem from an encounter with an alien spacecraft that amplified his mental faculties and gifted him other abilities. The character debuted in 1959 and has popped up in various TV incarnations, including the Arrowverse, so there’s precedent for making a familiar villain feel fresh on-screen.

The series comes from Tony Yacenda and Dan Perelmuter, the creative team behind Netflix’s American Vandal, who will write, executive produce, and oversee production. James Gunn and Peter Safran are attached as executive producers from DC Studios, with Galen Vaisman supervising the production. Warner Bros. Television is partnering on the project.

Tatro himself has been building momentum. He recently appeared in Scream 7, directed by Kevin Williamson for Paramount Pictures, and his credits include American Vandal, the web series The Real Bros of Simi Valley, Modern Family and Home Economics. Would a turn as Grodd be his breakout into blockbuster villainy? Fans and casting watchers will be watching every move.

If the negotiations close and DC Crime moves forward, expect a show that blends comic-book spectacle with the grainy, obsessive gaze of a true-crime camera. The next question is simple: can a telepathic ape carry a series worth of mystery and menace? Time — and casting decisions — will tell.