Rather than rushing every marquee hero into a hurried theatrical vehicle, the DC Studios chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran prioritize projects backed by genuine creative vision from their creators. That approach explains why Clayface, developed from a pitch by horror filmmaker Mike Flanagan, arrives in theaters this October, and why Lanterns lists acclaimed comic writer Tom King among its co-creators. That philosophy extends to one of the more unusual entries on the DC Universe slate, a TV show following Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) as he investigates the Flash’s most notorious simian adversary, Gorilla Grodd (Jimmy Tatro), in the docuseries currently referred to as DC Crime. Grodd’s actor has now addressed exactly how the character’s transformation will work on screen.
“It’s mostly voice acting,” Tatro said, addressing his Grodd casting for the first time during an appearance on the Pardon My Take podcast. “And I think they’re gonna use my expressions. I don’t know exactly the tech. They asked me if I would be interested; it’s the same guys that did American Vandal that are doing this. I don’t know how much I am supposed to say. I feel like they are pretty strict about this stuff. But I’m hyped. I feel like I was born to play a gorilla.”
“I think if you look at photos of Gorilla Grodd, the resemblance is uncanny,” Tatro added, joking about his physical fit for the role. The project, still officially untitled despite trade reports referring to it as DC Crime, comes from Dan Perrault and Tony Yacenda, the American Vandal creators who built that series around deadpan mockumentary realism. Their involvement suggests Grodd’s introduction will lean into a true-crime tone rather than the traditional action beats associated with the character’s comic book history.
Gorilla Grodd Is a Big Piece of the DCU Puzzle
Grodd’s introduction in DC Crime will not be his first appearance in the DC Universe. The hyper-intelligent, telepathic ape and longtime Flash villain already surfaced on screen during Creature Commandos, when the sorceress Circe (voiced by Anya Chalotra) shared a clairvoyant vision with Amanda Waller (voiced by Viola Davis). That vision depicted Princess Ilana Rostovic (voiced by Maria Bakalova) commanding a global invasion, with Grodd standing at her side as one of her key allies. Creature Commandos puts an end to Ilana’s plan, but doesn’t explain Grodd’s involvement in the plot. Still, positioning Grodd as the lead antagonist of an entire live-action series, rather than a background cameo, underlines that DC Studios views the character as a foundational piece of the DCU moving forward.
The fact that Tatro seems hyped about playing Grodd is also great news for fans, considering how DC Studios treats film and television as one continuous timeline. For instance, John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) will debut as a Green Lantern trainee in Lanterns before reprising the role in Man of Tomorrow, while Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) moved in the opposite direction, first appearing in Superman before joining the Corps in Lanterns. Even Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) crossed mediums with a cameo in Peacemaker Season 2, a scene Gunn has called important for setting up Man of Tomorrow. Grodd already ranks among the DCU’s most prominent villains through his Creature Commandos tease and now the DC Crime series. That trajectory suggests Tatro’s casting could extend into movies too, perhaps even as part of the character’s long-running rivalry with the Flash.
DC Crime is currently in development for HBO Max and does not yet have an official release date.
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