Superman: Legacy Has Cast Its Jimmy Olsen And More, And My Excitement For James Gunn's Reboot Has Kicked Up A Notch
2023 has been an outstanding year for Superman fans, and one of the chief reasons for this has been the news surrounding Superman: Legacy, the first movie on the DC Universe’s Chapter One slate. During the latter half of 2023, we’ve slowly been learning who will be part of the Superman: Legacy cast, with David Corenswet leading the pack as the Man of Steel. Well, there’s more news to share today, as the upcoming DC movie has cast both its Jimmy Olsen and Eve Tesmacher, and my excitement for the James Gunn-written and directed reboot has kicked up a notch.
Just one day after it was revealed that Nicholas Hoult is in talks to play Lex Luthor, THR is sharing that Skyler Gisondo and Sara Sampaio have been respectively cast as Jimmy and Miss Tesmacher. Gisondo is arguably best known for playing Gideon Gemstone in HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones (which, like the DC movies in order, can be viewed with a Max subscription), but you may also be familiar with him from movies and TV shows like The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel, Vacation, Licorice Pizza, Psych, Santa Clarita Diet, Fairfax and The Resort. While Sampaio is best known for her Victoria’s Secret work, she does have some some acting credits under her name, including appearing in an episode of Billions.
Selecting Skyler Gisondo to play Jimmy Olsen is an amazing choice, as he can bring the kind of enthusiasm required from the young man who’s affectionately referred to as Superman’s pal. Jimmy has been part of the Superman mythos for nearly the entirety of his existence, first making an anonymous cameo in 1938’s Action Comics #6, and then officially debuting on the Adventures of Superman radio serial in 1940, followed by his official comics debut in Superman #13 in late 1941. The character has previously been played by in live-action by Jack Larson, Mark McClure, Sam Huntington, Aaron Ashmore and Mehcad Brooks, among others, and I’m so glad that Gunn included the character in his story. It wouldn’t feel like a proper Superman movie without that wide-eyed photographer being involved.
As for Sara Sampaio, Superman: Legacy is unquestionably her biggest opportunity to perform yet, so I’m interested to see how she’ll do as Miss Tesmacher, who’s usually depicted as Lex Luthor’s assistant/moll. Unlike most DC characters, Eve Tesmacher didn’t originate on the printed page, but rather first appeared in 1978’s Superman: The Movie, played by Valerie Perrine, with the actress reprising the role in Superman II. Decades later, Andrea Brooks played Miss Tesmacher in several seasons of the Arrowverse’s Supergirl series.
So far no specific plot details for Superman: Legacy have been revealed yet, but James Gunn and fellow DC Studios head Peter Safran see it as the “true beginning” of the new DC Universe shared continuity, despite the animated Creature Commandos expected to be released sometime in 2024. Along with Lex Luthor in the mix to cause trouble, María Gabriela de Faría is playing a villain named Angela Spica, a.k.a. The Engineer, who’s a member of The Authority in the comics and is described as being part of a team of villains. As such, it’s possible that Legacy will see Superman and potentially allies like Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Mr. Terrific and Metamorpho go up against The Authority before they headline their own movie.
Superman: Legacy is still slated for a July 11, 2025 release, so keep your eyes peeled on CinemaBlend for more updates on its progress. You’re also welcome to look through our rankings of the Superman movies that have been released so far.
