Yesterday evening, the rumours were finally confirmed when we learned that DC Studios is moving forward with DC Crime. The series will be presented as a true crime docuseries, with Skyler Gisondo's Jimmy Olsen serving as host.
The plan is for the first season to revolve around Gorilla Grodd, who was briefly featured in Creature Commandos, and is confirmed to be one of DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn's favourite characters. Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault (American Vandal) would serve as writers, executive producers, and showrunners on the series.
Much could be said about DC Studios moving forward with yet another series that wasn't announced as part of the "Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters" slate at the start of 2023, especially with Waller, Paradise Lost, and The Brave and the Bold going nowhere fast.
Regardless, if this spoof docuseries is going to tell Gorilla Grodd's story, then it will surely need to include the villain's greatest foe, The Flash.
The Scarlet Speedster was the first hero that Grodd ever matched wits with, and they've been inextricably linked ever since. Grodd is 100% a Flash villain, and revealing his former exploits without the Fastest Man Alive coming into play is like telling Venom's story without Spider-Man (and we all know how that went).
So, will Gunn cast The Flash for DC Crime? At the very least, we'd expect Barry Allen to be among those interviewed for the show, seeing as he's a forensic scientist for the Central City Police Department! At this stage, though, nothing has been confirmed.
Last December, Gunn said that "we're holding a beat on development" when it comes to The Flash's DCU debut. In August, he was asked about Peacemaker Season 1's references to the hero (and Wonder Woman), and replied, "Yeah, are they canon? I don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see. I mean, they’ll exist eventually. Whether they exist now, I don’t know."
Ezra Miller's return is surely off the table for obvious reasons, but could The Flash TV series star Grant Gustin reprise his most famous role in theaters? Well, he's spoken with Gunn, who has confirmed he's a fan of the actor on multiple occasions.
"Grant is an incredibly talented guy, performing now on Broadway, I believe, and is absolutely not going to waste just because he’s not currently in a DC project. But, of course, I’d love to work with him at some point," he previously promised.
In some respects, it makes sense for the DCU to move on to Wally West. Either way, not including The Flash in DC Crime would be a huge blunder on DC Studios' part, and something that bodes well for the hero's introduction may be how much Gunn loved the character's 2023 movie.
"Like, it’s one of the best superhero movies I’ve ever seen. [Director] Andy Muschietti did an amazing job," he said at the time. "Can I say one more thing? The Flash is f**king amazing."
Hmm. For what it's worth, we're hearing that Clark Kent and Lois Lane will not appear in DC Crime. As always, stay tuned for updates.