Some of the most unforgettable moments in movie history were never guaranteed to make it onto the screen. A line was changed at the last second, an actor improvised something unexpected, or a production problem forced filmmakers to rethink an entire scene. Sometimes, the moment existed only because someone took a chance when the original plan stopped working. These little twists created scenes audiences still remember decades later, even though they could have easily disappeared before anyone saw them. Here are 15 iconic movie moments that came remarkably close to never happening, and the surprising stories behind how they ended up in the final cut
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Not all that long ago, few expected a superhero movie to actually care about the comics. We just had to accept that the Batman of the movies would blow up a chemical factory, the Red Skull would be an Italian guy who got facial reconstruction surgery as soon as possible, and that the X-Men would scoff at the very idea of yellow spandex. Of course that really began to change with the incredible suit that Tobey Maguire sported in his Spider-Man movies, and by the time that the Avengers wearing outrageous costumes on multiversal adventures, it seemed as if comic books had finally hit the mainstream.
But some recently leaked set photos from the upcoming HBO series The People vs. Gorilla Grodd have shown just how far superhero adaptations had yet to go… and what they’ve finally achieved with this series about Superman’s pal Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) investigating a super simian. In these photos, we clearly see someone on set in an old-school gorilla costume as Grodd graduates college (complete with cap and gown) or has a romantic outing (dressed in a fancy tux). With those photos, we have reason to believe that the perfect superhero adaptation has arrived.
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The People vs. Gorilla Grodd takes the form of a true crime documentary, which makes sense when you realize that the showrunners are Dan Perrault and Tony Yacenda, creators of the Netflix series American Vandal. They reteam with American Vandal star Jimmy Tatro, who plays Gorilla Grodd, a classic nemesis of the Flash. First introduced in The Flash #106 (1959), by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, Gorilla Grodd hails from Gorilla City, an enclave of intelligent gorillas. Although most of Gorilla City’s citizens are peaceful, including the wise leader Solovar, our dear Grodd thirsts for power and uses his psychic abilities to attempt to conquer the world.
As the title The People vs. Gorilla Grodd indicates, Grodd will be just as ambitious in the DCU. However, the set photos suggest that there’s more to Grodd than just a maniacal lust for power. The show will focus on a report put together by Olsen and other reporters at the Daily Planet from Superman, including Steve Lombard (Beck Bennett), Cat Grant (Mikaela Hoover), and editor Perry White (Wendell Pierce). Together, they’ll uncover the backstory of the would-be world-ruler, which apparently includes time at a university and a potential romance.
Which is, of course, great. Ever since James Gunn and Peter Safran took over as heads of DC Studios, Warner Bros. superhero projects have begun embracing the weirdest part of comic books, while still telling moving, character-driven stories. Peacemaker is indeed about a guy with a shiny helmet who fends off alien invasions and visits a Nazi alternate reality, but it’s also about a man recovering from toxic masculinity to understand his feelings. Superman addressed black site prisons, and Supergirl dealt with human trafficking, but both did so through weird concepts like pocket dimensions and intergalactic bounty hunters. Even Lanterns, which initially seemed like a grounded buddy cop mystery, has shape-shifting androids and all-powerful alien overseers.
Yet it’s still exciting and refreshing to see The People vs. Gorilla Grodd so openly embrace super-simians. As weird and goofy as the concept of a monkey or ape with superpowers is, it’s also baked into superhero comics, especially those at DC. Sure, Marvel has characters like the Fantastic Four villain the Red Ghost, who commands an army of Super Apes, and Gorilla-Man, but its DC who really perfected the trope. In addition to Gorilla Grodd and Solovar, the company has featured Beppo the Supermonkey from Krypton, Congorilla (a pulp adventurer has his mind placed inside that of a golden ape), Titano (think King Kong, if the Eighth Wonder of the World also shot kryptonite lasers from his eyes), the Francophone revolutionary Monsieur Mallah, and the Ultra-Humanite, DC’s first supervillain.
Given how integral to the DC Universe these primates are, it’s no surprise that some have shown up in previous comic book adaptations. Most famously, Gorilla Grodd appeared in several CW shows, and even went back in time to try to kill a young Barak Obama in Legends of Tomorrow.
But those were shoddy CGI recreations. As we see in the new set photos, The People vs. Gorilla Grodd is going practical, at least as a base (surely, the on-set suit will be enhanced with CGI effects, not unlike the Thing suit that Ebon Moss-Bachrach wore while shooting Fantastic Four: First Steps). That they’re letting a silly premise be as weird as possible and still finding places for real pathos proves that the series will take this goofy concept with complete seriousness. Which is what superhero stories fundamentally are, silly ideas taken seriously and given weight. Previous adaptations have come close, but if these photos are to be believed, then The People vs. Gorilla Grodd will be the point where superhero adaptations finally evolve.
The People vs. Gorilla Grodd is now in production.
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