Jimmy Olsen had a rough ride in the DCEU. Superman’s pal was introduced in the opening of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, only to be quickly revealed as a CIA agent and summarily executed with a shot to the head. Olsen fans took this as a major insult, so hopes are high that James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy will finally deliver a live-action version that can match the comic-book counterpart.
All of which means a gender-swapped fan-cast isn’t going down particularly well. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and I Am Not Okay With This star Sophia Lillis has been suggested for the role, to howls of disapproval from DC diehards:
Responses range from a flat “no”, with demands for a “100% faithful” take on him, an “OG Ginger” Jimmy, and people adamant that he should be “how he’s supposed to be in the comics”.
All that said, if Superman Legacy really did do a 100% faithful comic book Jimmy Olsen, we suspect these kinds of comic book fans would still have problems. That’s because Jimmy Olsen is renowned for constantly dressing up as a woman, to the point that there’s a strong argument that Superman’s buddy is one of comics’ first trans characters:
Why pass up an opportunity to kick off the new DCU with a crowd-pleasing bit of trans representation on screen? It’s about time we got the Jimmy Olsen established in the classic comics, the one who’s proud of his femininity and knows he looks damn good in a stylish skirt, full make-up and sheer hose.