NYCC: Gotham Panel Live Updates

ComicBook.com is live at the New York Comic Con event spread between the Javits Center, Madison Square Garden, and the Hammerstein Ball Room. The four-day event will cover topics from Nickelodeon to Netflix and everywhere in between with live panels, celebrity interviews, breaking news and more.

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*** 11:30 a.m. ET Gotham Live Panel Discussion will have updates located below ***

11:25 … room is filling up. “Reserved seats” still have a few spots. The floor is full and people are filing into the top balcony on both sides. Pretty lively crowd, too.

11:29 … moderator takes the floor. Keeps momentum going. Introducing the panel: David Mazouz — he yells, “Whats up New York…”next up, Robin Lord Taylor…. “Oswald for President” yelled from the crowd… Robin says, “At this point… Penguin looks pretty freaking good for that office. The Gotham writers may be writing a better reality than we are faced with.”

Moderator: “How does Penguin present himself in the public arena?:

RLT: “If anyone does some deep cuts, you will see that Penguin gets a little make over. He tries to present himself as he thinks a candidate should look and there is a certain omage to a certain candidate out there and it is entirely intentional. Our story is like any comic book and it is designed to look like the world we live in. Comics are written with the social climate in mind and our show is reflecting that. But, seriously, when Gotham starts to look like a documentary it is somewhat scary.”

Mod: “Has this story been in the works or is this just reflective of the time?”

RLT: “We were doing a panel and someone asked, who is the biggest villain in Gotham City and I said Donald Trump… but this was like a year ago before all of this. And so from there one of hte writers said that they were somewhat inspired by that and that going forward with what Penguin went through so he has to make a move to legitimize himself in Season 3 and what better way to run for mayor.”

Mod: “Do you think there is a part of Bruce that envies the ‘clone’”

DM: “Yes, there is an envious feeling for both. The clone we still dont know much about him, he was born in a lab and he sees a kid looking exactly like him with all that stuff. All he knows is lab coats and experiments and now he sees Alfred, Selina, and a big house and he wants that. So I think this ‘clone’ is going to teach Bruce to use the things around him and I think Bruce is going to teach the clone… well, you’ll see.”

Mod: “Will the clone get in trouble or create some drama between Bruce, himself, and Selina?”

DM: “There will be a jealous conflict in the next episode. For two years Bruce has wanted to do more with Selina but hasnt had the balls to make a move and make it happen. The clone isn’t as incumbered by that. So we see he took the car and he may be going to make that move.”

Mod: “How many of you enjoy the Oswald … Edward relationship?” (loud cheers)

“Does Oswald make Edward stronger or vise versa”

RLT: “I don’t think so. I think Edward makes Oswald a stronger person. Edward is very intellectual and pragmatic. Edward is in his head and Oswald is in his heart. You arent going to teach Ed about feelings and that isnt what Oswald is there for. But Edward can teach Oswald to be more organized and …”

STABBY BABS WALKS IN… to a major ovation…

RLT: “Edward helps Oswald more than Oswald helps Edward”

Mod: “I have enjoyed Barbara evolution. Is it more than Sirens, does she want to be her own kingpin.”

ER: “She has such high hopes for her and Tabitha. She has this new found power with Sirens and Penguin in the underworld. So she is seeing the rise within herself. So it is fun to me to play this character. When is she going to be serious Barabara. Or flirty Barbara…. all ofthose things, I just let them happen.”

Mod: “Could the clone be a better Bruce than Bruce? I mean his dressing up and all that…”

DM: “Better Bruce? What does that mean… better at what. He can be anything he wants to be.”

“The deal that Alfred and Bruce made in Season 2 is that he would do what Alfred said and he ran away. So, I think I know where you are going and I am not going to answer though.”\

Mod: “Do you think the Penguin really wants to go legit? It seemed like OSwarld really wanted to be a better man.”

RLT: “Absoltely. the Story of Oswald is the story of someone who has always been cast aside and been treated less than human. When you saw him come out of Arkham as a changed person that is really who he is underneath this scar tissue. Goign forward into the election he really does want the adoration and respect of the people, of everyone.

“After he was brainwashed in Season 2 he then snaps after his father was murdered and I didnt want him to snap back into being the old Penguin. So I wanted to keep the new Penguin as part of what he is going to be doing going forward. It is ultimately harmful for him, but he really truly wants adoration. Once he does get it, I dont think he is going to know what to do with it. He is ultimately in love with power but I think he wants the love and respect.”

Mod: “Babs is a woman who turns her sexuality to gain power and turn the world on its head. Her relationship with Tabitha and Butch and the whole situation….”

ER: “Barbara is a modern woman in that respect, she isnt trying Tabitha to herself. If Tabitha wants to go off and be with Butch that is okay. Barbara isnt going to try and hold anyone back so she can let anyone go.

“The thing about Tabitha is that Babs needs her cause she is crazy. She is the face of the Sirens but Tabitha is the muscle. Later in the season there is a risk that she is going to lose Tabitha and so Barbara goes all guns blazing to get her back.”

Mod: “What is your favorite thing to play with or hang out on set…”

ER: “Absenth at the end of the bar, so a few sips of that… in season one in Barbara apartment we used real picture of my grandparents wedding so it was so beautiful to have them with me.”

RLT: “GCPD is my favorite place to hang out. And when Oswald is in GCPD you know something is going down.”

DM: “The kitchen set which is new for Season 3. In Season 1, it felt like Bruce and Alfred were trapped in one room of a mansion for eight straight episodes. So I am really excited to have a conservatory and a kitchen in this season.”

ER: “In season 2 right next to GCPD is Nygma’s old apartment so when I was just off not working i would go sit in there. So when I went to the set this year, I opened hte doors looking for it and it has been replaced and there is something new there.”

11:57 … Questions to the crowd.

NIKKI from NYC: “Penguin has gone through so may transformations, how do you keep each with all of them. And Barbara, we have a theory that she didnt really kill her parents just went crazy.”

RLT: “It is in the writing. They captured his voice so well, so it is the word choice and specifics. I give all credit to them for that. They are consistent. Ive never a series regular before so I came in with my choices for it and they ran with it, and so they are writing for me and for him.”

ER: “I was talking that Barbara never killed anyone before except the parents, and we never saw that on scene. So if we are happening to hope for a rekindling between Jim and Barbara then maybe that is an interesting twist that all she has done is gone crazy and beat people up and maybe that killing was something else.”

ROB from NYC: “How much were you able to raise for charity at your FanFest event?”

RLT: “One of the founders of FanFest is from Orlando. We did a one-day charity event and raised just over $250,000 in one day for the victims of the Pulse massacre.”

“I lived in NYC during 9/11 and have been here for 16 years and it is my home and the people are the best. So it felt like that in Orlando. Like something really terrible happened. Like Mr. Rogers said, you look for the helpers. So being alive, being a human, that sadly it takes something really awful or really tragic to bring people together to help inspire healing. So all my love to the Orlando community.”

12:02 …

STEVEN… “Does your character like Penguins… Have you been able to embrace your doppleganger.”

RLT: “Hard because, I dont think he does. He was taunted with it his whole life so there isnt any particular affection for them. He embraces his most power from embracing what has tourtured him for so long. If he can own it then it cant hurt him, but his house doesnt have ‘Happy Feet’ posters.

DM: “I was scared when I first read that script. I thought, what just happened, and I got it and there wasnt a warning. At the end of season one they told me I would find the Wayne Cave, but there was no warning on this one. I read it and found out that I would have to play a doppleganger. I think it turned out really great with the help of a lot of other people.:”

LADY from Arizona. Makes GREAT Grandmom joke… then, “Robin, I hated dying my hair and hated going from blonde to dark and I know you are a blonde. How much do you hate this process.”

RLT: “Luckily I am going the other direction. Every two weeks or so they slap this stuff on to over my roots.”

GUY from Harlem… “David with the new other you, are we going to get in touch with the HUSH storyline.”

DM: “I cant say yes or no, but i can say the HUSH theory has been connecting those two things, and what I will say, is taht this Bruce was not completely somebody from the comics but is ia mix of Gotham originiality and maybe a mix of other theories.”

GUY again… “Oliver Queen crossover?”

DM: “We would all love it, but it isnt our call. I think it would be great. Any crossover — now that hte Flash can time travel — I wouldnt mind it.”

BRANDON from Staten Island… “Compliments RLT (applause) … How was your Paul Reubens expierence?”

RLT: “Paul is a delight a real genius. He is best friends with Carol that played my mom and so before he was cast I knew him.And it started as a goof that he should play my dad and we took a picture at a lunch with Carol and the producers said that they had been trying to get ahold of him for weeks. He is not Pee-Wee that is another whole thing. He is brilliant.

“So that scene were Paul died, my actual dad died and we kept shooting that day anyways. So I was acting my actual reality. So production asked what I wanted to do and it was Paul’s last day. My mom was with my sister and I couldnt make it to Iowa, and it was a strange confluence of events where your reality is what your character is going through. There were some scenes that was actually happening in my real life. It was my favorite and will always be my favorite episode. Although I will never watch it.”

JOSE from NY: “Hugo Strange was doing a reincarnation, but is there a Joker coming into play…”

DM: “Funny you mention that, because as the characters left in Season 2 I thought I heard a laugh.

RLT: “It is announced, he is coming back. Jerome will be back.”

12:17 …

DAVID MAZOUZ BRINGS OUT HIS DOG AND PUTS THE PANEL IN A TAILSPIN…

RLT: “After three seasons, there is a show coming up that me and David actually speak to each other.

QUESTION: “WHo do you like interacting with the most?”

ER: “Barbara is going to have some scenes with Nygma soon. I think Corey is nailing it this season and I am really excited to get in there with him.”

RLT: “First I love working with this one (ER) because we have such a strong link to Jim Gordon so it is fun when we interact. And so now I have more interatcion with the future Batman is coming.”

DM: “I would read a script looking for me and Penguin in the same scene and it never happened. I have had two scenes with Erin and one with Cory, and I havent had one with Robin and so that is going to happen. I am shooting some stuff with our new Poison Ivy and I am really excited for oyu guys to see that.”

QUESTION… “Can you do the waddle?”

RLT: “No, not right now. Most people that see it are a little disappointed. I moved from a bottlecap to two quarters in my right shoe. I dont use the tack anymore to do the waddle. But I dont have the full costume on so it is a little bit of a downer.”

QUESTION… “What Batman do you look to for inspiration?”

DM: “Batfleck wasnt around when we started so I looked to Christian Bale the most. He brought the most darkness.”

FIN.