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Will Ben McKenzie Become Batman on Gotham? SDCC Interview Suggests So

Knowing that Jim Gordon's character will transition into another DC character could mean a variety of things.

By Allie Z.Published 6 years ago 7 min read
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San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) dropped some massive reveals on fans everywhere. One reveal being highly overlooked by many is a statement made by Ben McKenzie (The OC, Gotham) indicating he'd be portraying a different character from DC Comics in the upcoming season of Gotham. At (SDCC), TVLine sat down with the cast of Gotham and got the big scoop from McKenzie himself. Ben Mckenzie currently portrays Commissioner Jim Gordon on Gotham, but he may not be so for too much longer. Knowing that Jim Gordon's character will transition into another DC character could mean a variety of things. For all we know, McKenzie's words could only mean that his character of Jim Gordon will simply masquerade as a particular character for some specific purpose. Or in the more entertaining scenario, Jim Gordon (McKenzie) could wind up taking on either a villainous or heroic persona of an existing DC Comics character.

McKenzie's Gordon Is Becoming Another DC Character on Gotham?

For those of you intrigued with the prospect of Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) either becoming an existing hero or villain of the DC universe, we may just see McKenzie portray a staple of the DC universe in a way we've never seen them depicted on-screen before.

That prospective character for McKenzie to portray being the iteration of Jim Gordon who becomes Batman. The Jim Gordon / Batman of DC Comics wears a mechanical suit to appear as Batman when Batman apparently died in action. Die-hard fans of the comics wouldn't be too pleased with McKenzie becoming Batman before Bruce Wayne does, but the events of Gotham are leading us to suspect the timeline of the series will to deviate from the predictable future expected — including the rise of a different hero as the caped crusader. This leads back to McKenzie's potential as Batman on Gotham.

As to why Jim Gordon's Batman is relevant to Gotham is because McKenzie becoming Batman seems more plausible within the grand scheme of the series than the idea of Bruce Wayne growing up to become Batman. Now, hear me out before you stop reading. Gotham has likely established a time span for its series' run that won't facilitate a long enough time frame for the young Bruce Wayne to grow up and become Batman. However, having another individual like Jim Gordon (McKenzie) becoming the first to don a cowl would leave a lasting impression on Bruce and his future as the Dark Knight of Gotham city.

To back up the claim of James Gordon (McKenzie) becoming Batman before Wayne does, there is also the matter of several well-known DC villains being established on Gotham before they should even exist within Batman's universe. For one, Victor Fries / Mister Freeze didn't transition from a scientist into a full-fledged villain until after Bruce Wayne became Batman in the comics — but Mister Freeze has already been established on Gotham. There are also several other DC characters on Gotham who shouldn't exist as they currently reside on the series, including Ed(ward) Nigma, Victor Zsazz, Dr. Hugo Strange and Black Mask / The Mask.

According to the comics, all of these villains of the DC universe came into being after Batman had become an established hero, but they reside on Gotham as recurring villains on the series. That may be proof enough to conclude that Ben McKenzie will indeed become Batman on Gotham but it's also possible that McKenzie's indication of Jim Gordon becoming another DC character could mean he'll become a completely different character. In that scenario, there are a few possibilities for McKenzie's new role which could fit within the context of Gotham. Here they are:

1. Clayface / Basil Carlo

Clayface on 'Gotham'

In DC Comics, Basil Carlo becomes the shapeshifter known as Clayface when he attains samples of DNA from other individuals who utilize their abilities in the same manner. He can melt his body and shift every molecule of his anatomy into whatever shape he wishes. On Gotham, Basil has become Clayface as a result of Dr. Hugo Strange experimenting on him.

It's possible that James Gordon (McKenzie) will find himself in the same position as Basil Carlo did on Gotham. Basil found himself in the grasp of Dr. Hugo Strange and through experimentation, Strange turned Basil into Clayface. There's potential for Hugo Strange to make a resurgence and in that scenario, Strange could have the intent of turning James Gordon into a Clayface monster as well. Of course if that happens, Gordon (McKenzie) will likely go through a disfiguring transition period wherein he's unable to control the shifting molecules of his body, creating a persistent problem for him to just keep his body's composition together.

2. Red Hood

The Red Hood gang, DC' Comics.

Another possibility is for James Gordon (McKenzie) to become the Red Hood. Not the Red Hood otherwise known as Jason Todd, the original Red Hood who was the leader of the Red Hood gang. In DC Comics, the leader of the Red Hood gang was known as the Red Hood during his time with the petty crime gang, but the Red Hood eventually took on another villainous moniker after becoming grotesque in every manner — the Joker.

As to why McKenzie could be portraying the Red Hood is simple, the Red Hood gang is a prevalent criminal element on Gotham, but the Red Hood has never been apprehended. If a scenario were to arise wherein a sting operation is set up that also necessitates that a crime lord like the Red Hood facilitate the meeting, Gordon (McKenzie) could masquerade as the Red Hood in order to bust the implicated perpetrators. That's one possibility to explain McKenzie's words. However, in the interview McKenzie said he'd become another DC character, but that doesn't necessarily mean he'll remain that specified character. It's possible he only meant that he'd take on the identity of another DC character but not become them altogether, backing up the claim of McKenzie portraying the Red Hood as he positions himself to appear like a crime-lord.

3. Man-Bat

Man-Bat is a lot more plausible when you think about it. Jim Gordon, the first guy on every crime scene is always the first one to examine all the evidence. In a possible scenario, we could see Jim Gordon (McKenzie) exploring a crime scene at Robert Langstrom's laboratory. From there, it's possible Jim Gordon will find himself turning into Man-Bat as he's unaware he's been infected by Langstrom's serum. As to how Langstrom's serum could wind up in Gordon's blood, it's possible if the serum has been condensed into aerosol form and Gordon (McKenzie) releases it unknowingly. Or, in the far-off chance that Jim Gordon finds another of Dr. Hugo Strange's hidden labs, he may inadvertently encounter the serum that transforms him into Man-Bat. Under those specific circumstances, Jim Gordon could unwittingly transform himself into Man-Bat — but who would save him when Batman still doesn't exist?

That's All Folks

After going through some of the potential candidates of DC characters who Ben McKenzie could be portraying in the upcoming season of Gotham, there is no logical option. But after looking at the progression of Gotham as a series altogether, it appears as though the timeline of events will progress much faster to see heroes rise on Gotham just as an entire syndicate of villains has risen to the ranks of mob bosses within the city. That being said, Ben McKenzie will likely depict a variation of a hero from DC Comics who may come as an unexpected surprise to some. The hero to which I'm referring is the comic book version of Jim Gordon who dons a Batman suit of his own. Some would argue that Jim Gordon becoming Batman on Gotham would completely screw up the timeline of events, but what if Jim Gordon becoming a Batman-like vigilante is the call for Bruce Wayne to wear a cowl of his own in the future? In the scenario of Jim Gordon becoming the Bat-vigilante, the young Bruce Wayne would have a symbol to look up to and strive towards when considering his aspirations to become a crime fighter. In that context, the idea of Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) becoming a Batman-type vigilante would make sense.

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About the Creator

Allie Z.

I cover most entertainment related topics and am venturing into journalism.

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