A ‘Smallville’ Name Has Turned up on the Set of James Gunn’s Superman Spinoff

Ever since 2025’s ‘Superman‘ introduced the Daily Planet crew to a new generation, fans have wondered how much more of that world would spill onto the small screen. HBO Max gave its answer with ‘The People v. Gorilla Grodd’, a true crime mockumentary that is intended to be part of the DC Universe and to spin off from the film. The series is being made by Dan Perrault and Tony Yacenda for HBO Max.

Skyler Gisondo returns as Jimmy Olsen, Jimmy Tatro joins as the telepathic ape Gorilla Grodd, and Beck Bennett, Mikaela Hoover, and Wendell Pierce are back as Steve Lombard, Cat Grant, and Perry White. The 8 half-hour episodes are being shot in Atlanta, Georgia, with filming having started in early September.

Now a fresh set video has given the production its first real curveball.

The footage in question comes from a set video shared by the account @AtlantaDCFans. It shows a mayoral campaign, with signs supporting Ray Sacks for mayor, a name that belonged to a recurring villain in season 9 of the CW drama. In other words, a ‘Smallville’ name has apparently been dropped into Metropolis politics.

BTS footage of signs that read “Ray Sacks for Mayor” on the set of The People Vs Gorilla Grodd
(📸:@AadenDufresne ) pic.twitter.com/PoSH384uwO

— ATL DC (@AtlantaDCFans) September 20, 2026

It is worth keeping expectations in check, though. One report on the footage stresses that the signs are the only confirmed detail, and that they do not prove Ray Sacks will appear in the finished series. That distinction matters, since a name on a prop is not the same thing as a character walking into frame.

Still, it fits the show’s premise neatly. The series follows Jimmy Olsen hosting a true crime docuseries alongside other Daily Planet reporters, who investigate whether Grodd was wrongfully convicted of murdering his father, the king of Gorilla City. Gunn and producing partner Peter Safran have said the show will spotlight the Metropolis criminal justice system through Jimmy’s docuseries. A local election subplot would sit comfortably inside that world.

There is also a fun bit of full-circle history here. ‘Smallville’ itself introduced Jimmy Olsen, along with Oliver Queen and Martian Manhunter, during its sixth season. A show fronted by Jimmy quietly borrowing from that earlier series feels less like a coincidence and more like a wink.

Replies in the post amounted to excited approval, and with only 2 replies visible, the conversation was still in its early stages. Given how devoted the ‘Smallville’ fanbase remains, more chatter is almost certain once the video circulates further.

The series also arrives with some momentum behind it. Recent coverage has pointed to positive reception for DC Studios’ television output more broadly, following praise for ‘Lanterns’ earlier this year. Gisondo has also weighed in on where the spinoff sits on the DCU timeline, suggesting it lands close to the main films without directly interrupting them.

For now, plenty of questions remain. HBO Max has not announced a release date. Until more footage or an official announcement arrives, the Ray Sacks signs are a tantalizing Easter egg, and DC fans will be watching to see whether the mayoral hopeful is just background dressing or the start of a bigger ‘Smallville’ connection.

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