Supergirl Mehcad Brooks is Jimmy Olsen

[TheComicbookKid]

I thought they meant alpha male like All Star Superman Jimmy Olsen.

 

[FeedOnATreeFrog]

Maybe Jimmy wanted to be like Supes, so he started doing a lot of pushups over the years.

But anyways, I'm fine with this. I mean, if there was no Jimmy Olsen at all in this Supergirl show, would people even be asking for him?

 

[Steyin]

 

[Frodo]

WOW, the knee-jerk complaining started extra-early today. Never change fandom, never change.

That in addition to several racist memes on the i've seen in response to his casting on another website which reported the story. The guy's a good actor. I'm for the casting.

 

[Sawyer]

https://twitter.com/kurtbusiek

Kurt Busiek
‏@KurtBusiek
I’m sure we’ll hear a lot of agonized wails about how Jimmy Olsen can’t be anything but white because freckles are essential to the concept.

Because if in 1941, all copy boys/pals-to-aliens were white, then in 2015 it must be the same. Must be. Do they even still have copy boys?

In reality, Jimmy Olsen existed because Superman needed someone to talk to on a radio show, because exposition had to be done thru dialogue.

Because he was popular on TV, he got his own book, and he mattered in that because he was the star of it.

But once his solo series ended, he hasn’t had much to do in the comics. Modern Superman does his exposition in captions, and doesn’t much...

…need a pal to talk to, particularly a juvenile pal. These days, audiences look at that funny.

So when one is writing Superman, one of the dangling questions is, “What do you do with Jimmy? What role can he play that matters?"

If they find him a good role on the SUPERGIRL TV show, that may renew the character for a new generation. His old rationale has faded away.

People are suggesting different jobs Jimmy could have. But that’s not the same as having a useful role to play in a series cast.

Not saying there isn’t a role for him. But for years, he didn’t have his own book, Lois knew the secret and was Clark’s closest friend...

…so there wasn’t much of a role for him to play. He got occasional spotlight stories where he did the kind of thing he used to do in his...

…solo stories, but that was largely a relic of him having once had his own series. If Jimmy didn’t exist the book wouldn’t have missed much.

So I suppose my main point is this: Jimmy Olsen’s original function in the cast is long outdated. Finding a new one could be interesting.

I’ll be curious to see what they do with him, and what story function he’ll fill.

Eh, he brings up some interesting points.

 

[John Locke]

Yeah he does. MOS didn't even have Jimmy and if BVS does it's not as the same role. Jimmy does need a new role besides Superman's pal. Like how Bucky went from teenage side kick to Captain America's best friend.

 

[TheComicbookKid]

Yeah he does. MOS didn't even have Jimmy and if BVS does it's not as the same role. Jimmy does need a new role besides Superman's pal. Like how Bucky went from teenage side kick to Captain America's best friend.

Well if there's one thing comic fans are good about taking in stride, it's changes to comic characters.

 

[JP]

https://twitter.com/kurtbusiek

Eh, he brings up some interesting points.

Sure does.

 

[Sawyer]

Well if there's one thing comic fans are good about taking in stride, it's changes to comic characters.

I wonder what nerds felt like in the mid-80s when they took away Jimmy's bowties and put him in modern clothes...

 

[John-An]

I'm fine with this. I mean we have a version on TV that maybe could be used for a multiverse plans on the future.. I'm seeing this TV universe as one earth and the Cinematic Universe as other. I think that was another reason for having this change. Maybe they are going to use the original Jimmy Olsen in BvS, JL or maybe the Supes solo movie. So I'm happy with this.

 

[JJmelo]

Love the casting but can't help but notice that DC loves black journalists lol. First Perry White, then Iris West and now Jimmy. I don't have a problem with race changing, just find it odd that they are all writers.

Anywho, here are my full thoughts on the casting

https://otlnews.wordpress.com/2015/01/29/mehcad-brooks-to-play-jimmy-olsen-in-supergirl/

 

[JJmelo]

I'm fine with this. I mean we have a version on TV that maybe could be used for a multiverse plans on the future.. I'm seeing this TV universe as one earth and the Cinematic Universe as other. I think that was another reason for having this change. Maybe they are going to use the original Jimmy Olsen in BvS, JL or maybe the Supes solo movie. So I'm happy with this.

didn't they change Jimmy Olsen to a women in 'Man of Steel'??

 

[John-An]

^^^ Nope. That was Jenny Jerwich. Olsen hasn't been used.

Yeah he does. MOS didn't even have Jimmy and if BVS does it's not as the same role. Jimmy does need a new role besides Superman's pal. Like how Bucky went from teenage side kick to Captain America's best friend.

I think Snyder is gonna use him also. that's why they made this change in the TV. They maybe are going to the classic look in movies but I really think in movies he should be something more important, more relevant, maybe Clark's rommie mixed with some brillaint hacker with that spicy narcisist behavior, as in Earth 2 with having photographer as the primarly job but the best thing about him is that they can use him as a hacker to help Lois and Supes. Just IMO of course.

 

[Stringer]

Describing Jimmy Olsen as an Alpha-Male makes no sense to me.

I'm sure it doesn't.

 

[John-An]

Different earths, different realities, different supporting characters too. Giving the movies and the Tv Universe DIVERSITY!!

 

[Sawyer]

Well, I'm glad to see online comments sections haven't come completely undone over this...

http://tvline.com/2015/01/28/supergirl-tv-show-mehcad-brooks-jimmy-olsen-cast-cbs/

Guess if wonderwoman is now a hispanic male youd have to “deal with it”

 

[ComicChick]

i'll be optimistic. i like the actor. he does play a jock a lot, but it's usually probably due to the fact that he's in great shape

 

[<(o_o)>]

They just had to go & copy The Flash for the sake of doing so. The change in race doesn't bother me in the slightest however.

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

I don't care about the Jimmy Olsen character, I rarely even fancast the role because I care so little about him.

I don't mind them changing the character's personality and function at all. More power to them, make him interesting and make him matter. It's funny that everybody has to be really hot these days though. I ain't gonna complain about looking at Mehcad Brooks for 45 minutes each week though.

 

[JP]

They just had to go & copy The Flash for the sake of doing so. The change in race doesn't bother me in the slightest however.

Both Greg Berlanti.

 

[John-An]

Well, I'm glad to see online comments sections haven't come completely undone over this...

http://tvline.com/2015/01/28/supergirl-tv-show-mehcad-brooks-jimmy-olsen-cast-cbs/

This is just silly

 

[Boy Scout]

Sure. Okay. I'll bite.

 

[Sawyer]

I don't care about the Jimmy Olsen character, I rarely even fancast the role because I care so little about him.

I've come to realize that most of the people I'd fancast for Olsen (Dylan O'Brien, Anton Yelchin) would make good Peter Parkers and be far better utilized that way.

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

I've come to realize that most of the people I'd fancast for Olsen (Dylan O'Brien, Anton Yelchin) would make good Peter Parkers and be far better utilized that way.

That's a good point actually.

 

[BH/HHH]

Meh never really liked him on True Blood, thought he was a pretty bad actor. Maybe he's improved though.