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Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen's actor had to "freestyle" his way through the role to manage the weight of expectations he felt

When you're in a Superman movie, it helps to have nerves of steel. Or at least be able to fake them.

Skyler Gisondo As Jimmy Olsen First Look
Image credit: James Gunn via X/Twitter

The world is eagerly waiting for the relaunch of the DCU with James Gunn’s upcoming Superman movie. But, while we’re understandably excited to see David Corenswet’s take on the Man of Steel, we can’t ignore the supporting cast. After all, where would Superman be without his good pal Jimmy Olsen? Turns out, the actor portraying Jimmy in the upcoming Superman movie couldn’t tell you as he intentionally didn’t research the character before filming.

It wasn’t a case of Skyler Gisondo not wanting to do right by the character. It was very much the opposite, actually. “When you’re doing Superman, everyone in your life in this very well-intentioned way is like, ‘Holy shit. Superman! Are you like…’” Gisondo explained in a recent interview. “So, in an attempt to not spiral and, like, freak out, I was kind of like, ‘That’s just – you know, it’s gonna be fun. It’s not a big deal.’”

Gisondo avoided doing too much research into the character simply to try to manage his nerves around the legacy that comes from being in a Superman movie. “And I like, I almost didn’t – intentionally didn’t want to dive into, like, the history and just feel this, like, weight of like ‘Holy shit, we have such a responsibility to get this right and like everyone who’s come before us.’ So, I kind of just came in freestyling, man. So hopefully that works.”

It is refreshing to see someone willing to admit that they weren’t a huge fan of the comics before being cast in a comic book movie. It is far better to find the best actor for a role rather than look for someone who obsessively collected Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen comics as a kid.

Superman is due to be released on July 11, 2025.


James Gunn's Superman is flying into theaters soon enough, and Popverse has all you need to prepare. Refreshing your cinematic memory with our Superman movie watch order, learn what we know about the upcoming Superman movie, Superman's S-Shield through the ages, and read about what DC is doing ahead of their flagship hero's triumphant return.

Trent Cannon

Trent Cannon: Trent is a freelance writer who has been covering anime, video games, and pop culture for a decade. (He/Him)

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