How is DC’s Daily Planet spin-off connected to Superman without the titular hero? Details explored

Recently, it was declared by DC Studios that an upcoming Superman spin-off TV series, named DC Crime, is planned to be created. This series shall be centered around Clark Kent's close friend and co-worker, Jimmy Olsen, as originally reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

Actor Skyler Gisondo, who has been widely loved in James Gunn's latest Superman, shall be returning in the role of the photojournalist. The story shall be set in the Daily Planet, where Olsen and his colleagues shall be investigating deeper into the urgent cases caused by the villainous baddies.

But here's the plot twist: this time, it is most likely for Superman or Lois Lane not to be featured in the series. But even in their absence, the spin-off does bear a strong link to them.

Let's find out more about the possibilities of Superman and Lois Lane's presence in DC Crime.

Without Superman: The possible connections with the superhero in DC Crime, explored

As per the outlet, the spin-off series DC Crime will be created by Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault. The duo is well known for creating the Peabody Award-winning mockumentary series American Vandal.

This time, Perrault and Yacenda shall not only be running the show but will also pen the series. Peter Safran and James Gunn are serving as executive producers, joined by the duo.

In the early season of this show, the primary focus will be on the DC supervillain Gorilla Grodd. The character has been in existence since 1959, as it made its debut in the comic The Flash #106. Predominantly, he is the villain who stands opposite Flash. Gorilla Grodd is an exceptionally smart ape who, with his unique psychic powers, can exert influence upon minds.

In the 2025 film, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen had limited screen time, yet with a significant role. So in this series, Olsen will find more space, visibility, and possibilities for his own story to develop. So in this spin-off, the burning question that refuses to extinguish is: Will the Kryptonian superhero be nowhere in sight?

Notably, the workplace of both Clark Kent and Lois Lane -the Daily Planet- is at the nucleus of the show's world. Also, the show is connected to the same universe. So the chances of Superman and Lois Lane appearing still remain to exist. At the same time, in Gunn's film, the newsroom does not take up a lot of space in the story. Similarly, in this spin-off, vice versa is also likely to happen.

When the show already seems quite high-stakes with Gorilla Grodd's presence, an equally powerful DC superhero must show up in the series, if not Superman. To tease the audience, David Corenswet can still make a cameo appearance as only Clark Kent, too.

The impact and presence of Superman and Rachel Brosnahan's Lois Lane shall always remain, even if it does not materialize physically. Be it in the form of meta references thrown around or Jimmy Olsen mentioning them in some conversations. Also, the show is at its very early stage, so we never know what could change in further developments.