The People v. Gorilla Grodd Casts Big Bang Theory Favorite in New Role, & Fans Have Guesses

September 25, 2026, 1:20pm

The DC Universe could fairly be described as a mixed bag right now. Superman was a breakout success for the film side, but Supergirl was a big flop; DC shows like Creature Commandos and Peacemaker have been cult hits (at best), while HBO has made prestige hits out of The Penguin and Lanterns. The People v. Gorilla Grodd is one of the wildest additions to the DCU slate we’ve seen; a spinoff of Gunn’s Superman movie, the show will follow Daily Planet photographer Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) as he hosts a true-crime docuseries about various DC villains and their stories. Season 1 (obviously) centers on Gorilla Grodd, a highly intelligent, imperial gorilla who gains mind control and uses it to conquer the world.

Videos by ComicBook.com

The cast of The People v. Gorilla Grodd is now expanding, and a Big Bang Theory star has been tapped for the show. But it’s the question of who she is playing that has DC fans buzzing like crazy with speculation.

Big Bang Theory‘s Sara Gilbert Joins The DCU (But Who Is She Playing?)

It’s being reported that Sara Gilbert has joined the cast of The People v. Gorilla Grodd. Gilbert is best known for her roles as Darlene Conner in Roseanne (and its sequel, The Conners), as well as physicist Dr. Leslie Winkle in The Big Bang Theory. All that is being said about Gilbert’s role in The People v. Gorilla Grodd is that she’s playing an “important journalist” who will appear opposite Jimmy Olsen in the show.

Gilbert joins an ensemble that already includes comedian/actor Jimmy Tatro as Gorilla Grodd, as well as Mary Holland, Eduardo Franco, Arian Moayed, Dan Perrault, Andrew Leeds, and Tim Baltz. Superman cast members Wendell Pierce, Beck Bennett, and Mikaela Hoover are also returning as Daily Planet newspaper editor Perry White and his bullpen of reporters, Steve Lombard and Cat Grant (respectively).

So who is Sara Gilbert actually playing in the DCU? There are two names fans seem to be stuck on right now: Vicky Vale and Iris West.

Vicky Vale is one of the most prominent photojournalists (or reporters) in Gotham City. At various times, she’s been a romantic interest of Bruce Wayne/Batman, and was most famously portrayed on-screen by Kim Basinger in Tim Burton’s Batman (1989). Her arc in the comics has run through doing gigs on TV, such as “The Scene,” the DC Universe’s version of The View. Today, she is one of the most prominent DC media figures, but so is the other character Gilbert is suspected of playing…

Iris West is best known as a Gotham City reporter who moved to Central City and became the love interest of Barry Allen/The Flash. Iris became a lightning rod for fan controversy in the 2010s; the character was race-swapped twice, once for the CW’s The Flash TV series (portrayed by actress Candice Patton), and again for Zack Snyder’s DCEU film franchise (portrayed by Kiersey Clemons). In both cases (and race aside), a lot of DC fans felt the on-screen versions of Iris lacked the comic counterparts’ cleverness, resolve, and feistiness as a reporter.

Sara Gilbert’s screen persona is defined by being dry, sarcastic, and witty; we could see her being Iris West much more so than Vicky Vale, and sharing the screen with Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane. If Gibert is the DCU Iris West, it quickly raises questions about what version of The Flash we could see in the DCU; both Iris and Grodd are prominent characters in The Flash’s corner of the franchise.

Then again, knowing James Gunn and the DCU, it could also be revealed that Gilbert is playing someone completely different. Deadline mentioned more obscure names like Lana Lang or Vesper Fairchild, but that’s not where we’re putting our poker chips…

The People v. Gorilla Grodd is currently in production. Are you rocking with the show so far? Let us know in the comments!