Zack Snyder explained why he had to kill off Jimmy Olsen in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice as this remains a massive debate among fans. The character, in the comics, is a photojournalist from The Daily Planet who is pals with Clark Kent and Lois Lane.
When Olsen was introduced, the viewers expected he’d have more significance in the movie, but he was immediately removed as the story unfolded and revealed he’s a CIA operative. Fans need not worry anymore because James Gunn will correct this in his upcoming Superman film.
Zack Snyder Sheds Light On Jimmy Olsen’s Death
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was one of the most controversial DC installments helmed by Zack Snyder. While it is a commercial hit, the critical reviews were quite harsh. In fact, it only received a disappointing 29% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Apart from the backlash it sustained, fans also criticized one of the most brutal deaths in the film. Jimmy Olsen was played by Michael Cassidy, and he was immediately killed off even before the story progressed. Snyder explained that there’s a reason for every death scene, and Olsen’s demise had a purpose.
“As the dominoes fall, as you go, you’re ended up with the consequences,” he stated, comparing the story to a chess game where some figures needed to die in order to move the plot forward. Snyder reiterated that deaths teach us something, and sometimes that’s their role – to die. Olsen was only a pawn in the game that needed to perish.
Fans will surely not take the director’s answer lightly as Olsen is one of their most anticipated characters in the world of Superman. Until now, the audience is still in the dark as to why Snyder even thought of including the character because his death here didn’t really change anything.
Another quite hilarious thing is that fans didn’t even know the character was supposed to be Olsen until netizens on social media started talking about him. It’s also strange that he never interacted with Superman given that they were supposed to be friends.
There are a lot of altered elements in Snyder’s version of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice which is why the reactions of fans are understandable.
James Gunn Will Rectify Jimmy Olsen’s Story
James Gunn will be bringing him back in the upcoming Superman project as the DC head shares the first-look image of Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen who will make his debut in 2025.
Hopefully, the character will play a more important role this time. He’s one of the most popular human figures in the Superman comics so fans will be anticipating his appearance, as well as story in the movie.
The hype on David Corenswet’s Superman is quite high even though we still have less than a year before its worldwide premiere.
Superman arrives in theaters on July 11, 2025.
