Top 10 characters the Arrowverse completely botched

8. Jimmy Olsen/Guardian

The writers of Supergirl never knew what to do with this character. Although he’s traditionally known as a nervous young photographer who accompanies Lois Lane on her dangerous exploits, the Arrowverse crew portray Jimmy a bit differently. They don’t just change his race; they completely rewrite his personality and occupation. I would say he’s Jimmy Olsen in name only, but he frequently goes by “James.”

Now, that wouldn’t be such an issue if the changes worked. Unfortunately, Mehcad Brooks hasn’t an ounce of charm or charisma to offer, sucking the life out of an otherwise energetic series. On top of that, his role in the story constantly shifts, and he never truly finds comfort in any of his activities.

First, he’s a mentor for the title character, having been Superman’s pal for years. Then, he’s framed as an eventual love interest for her. After that amounts to nothing, he’s promoted to the editor of the magazine where they both work.

Well, that obviously gives him too much free time, so let’s have him don a stupid costume and beat up bad guys as a cross between Batman and Captain America! Finally, we’ll use him as the poster boy for a ham-handed message about public perception of African American heroes. Do you think that’s enough?

It’s all so cynical, arising not from natural character growth, but from the showrunners’ inability to utilize this storied character. They couldn’t find a way to make Jimmy interesting or relevant on his own, so they try to compensate by giving him various jobs in a desperate attempt to drum up audience investment. In short, they throw everything at the wall to see what sticks, but nothing ever does.