Superman spin-off show The People v Gorilla Grodd reveals absurd first look at the titular ape — and DC fans are calling on James Gunn to keep his 'George of the Jungle' form

• DC fans have received their first look at The People v Gorilla Grodd
• Multiple images and videos of the Superman spin-off have appeared online
• They show The Flash villain attending university and as part of an A Cappella group

The first images and videos for The People v Gorilla Grodd (TPvGG) have appeared online — and they've sparked something of a fierce fan debate over the titular, hyperintelligent ape.

Billed as a mockumentary show, the forthcoming Superman spin-off will see Daily Planet reporter Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) re-examine a case against Grodd (voiced by Jimmy Tatro) to determine whether the latter was wrongly convicted of his father's murder. And, based on the set leaks we've seen thus far, it seems some fans are already convinced that Grodd is innocent.

Their evidence? The numerous behind-the-scenes pictures and footage of the HBO Max TV series shared online yesterday (September 9) that indicate Grodd is nothing more than a popular, intellectual, and fun-loving ladies' man.

For one, in videos shared on X/Twitter, Grodd is seen as part of an A Cappella group at Metropolis University. Further footage shows Grodd trying to woo a fellow student with his singing abilities and — I kid you not — singing LMFAO's 'Party Rock Anthem' on campus with the rest of his A Cappella group.

But wait, there's more. In images uploaded to the same social media platform, Grodd is also seen graduating from university. A separate shot shows the DC comic book character is pictured wearing a shirt, waist jacket, and trousers (see below), too. It's unclear if this is Grodd wearing his college uniform or if he's dressed smartly for his murder trial.

Regardless, it appears that most DC Universe (DCU) fans are happy with what they've seen of Grodd. Various threads on r/DC_Cinematic, r/DCULeaks, and the ResetEra forums are full of comments from people saying they're coming around to the prospect that The People v Gorilla Grodd will actually be good. In fact, some even want the Grodd stand-in to be kept for the final product, rather than see him replaced by a CGI version.

That said, there are those who aren't enamored with how the supervillain looks. Others don't like that he isn't being used in a movie starring his archnemesis in Barry Allen/The Flash, and/or that he's being disrespectfully reduced to a caricature of his comic book counterpart. We'll see how the DCU's portrayal shakes out when TPvGG is finally ready to go.

Confirmation that filming has begun comes just two weeks after The People v Gorilla Grodd's official title, cast, and plot were revealed and almost 10 months after reports first emerged that a Superman off-shoot was in development at DC Studios. There's no word on when TPvGG will be released but, with the cameras now rolling, it's possible we could see the DCU Chapter One program before the end of 2027.

For more ahead of its eventual debut on HBO Max, aka one of the world's best streaming services, find out everything else we know so far about The People v Gorilla Grodd.

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