Thomas Roach on whether Gotham will fail without Batman…
With less than two weeks to go before the much anticpated Batman prequel series Gotham it is clear that many fans are excited to see this show. Gotham will follow James Gordon as a young detective and explore the origins of some of Gotham City’s criminals, as well as Bruce Wayne, who is set to be played by young actor David Mazouz. However, Wayne will only be a child for the duration of the series and likely take a back seat for most of it. The showrunners may try to incorporate the character as much as possible, but without his alter ego Batman do we really care?
I am glad that a character in the DC universe is getting greater development. I for one really liked Gary Oldman’s portrayal of James Gordon in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy. Whilst this new series is not canon to the most recent films, exploring a much loved supporting character is worthwhile. But in the end I think this may just become a Batman Origins series if anything.
As I have pointed out this will not only explore the character of James Gordon, but will also delve into the origins of some of the most popular Batman villains. Already we know that Catwoman, Riddler, Penguin and Poison Ivy are set to appear in the show. There is also talk of introducing Batman’s arch nemisis The Joker into the series and that could be a lot of fun for the audience. This does have its own issues though. One thing that makes The Joker so great is that we know so little about his past. Exploring his origins may take away the mystique of the character and leave fans dissapointed.
Eventaully I would not be surprised if Bruce Wayne takes a major role in the show. Once Mazouz gets slightly older, we may get to explore Bruce Wayne as he learns about his detective skills, which was not present in the Nolan trilogy. We may even get to see Batman appear on the show someday. I think if the show is to survive then Batman will need to become more actively involved in the plot. Maybe I’m wrong though, and the development of a great character like James Gordon and many of Gotham’s infamous villains will be enough to keep the show alive for many seasons to come.
I am sure that Gotham can make the audience fall in love with the range of characters that exist in the DC universe, but right now – without Batman as a prominant character – I think it could go either way. Do you think Gotham can succeed and go on for multiple seasons or will it fail to deliver without The Dark Knight? Let us know your thoughts…
Thomas Roach
Originally published September 9, 2014. Updated April 12, 2018.
