We’ve always thought of Bruce Wayne as the first, and sometimes only Batman. But what if that wasn’t actually the case.
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Gotham star ben McKenzie has a theory about the Caped Crusader, and it’s his character on the show, one Commissioner Gordon, may have actually been the true first Batman.
While appearing on The Late Show, McKenzie was asked by host Stephen Colbert whether or not his kids were disappointed that his role as Jim Gordon would never allow him to be Batman. Fortunately, the actor has a theory.
“I’m working on that, they’re the perfect ages to be brainwashed,” McKenzie admitted. “I explained to them the truth, which is that without Jim Gordon, there would be no Batman. If you really think about it, and I encourage you to really think about, you could almost argue that Gordon was the first Batman. He’s the first lawman in Gotham City, and he’s keeping it together.”
Honestly, it’s not that much of a stretch, the guy does have a bit of a point. Jim Gordon was the first one in Gotham City to lay down the law and try to put an end to the endless amount of crime in the streets. Is that enough to call him Batman, thought?
While Jim is great and all, he is missing some major Batman components. The bat on his suit, first of all. Without that, what’s the point of having “bat” in your name?
Jim’s not really rich, he doesn’t have a secret hideout to store all of his cool gadgets, and there’s not a humble butler monitoring his every move.
So, maybe Jim Gordon isn’t that much like Batman, but McKenzie’s point is still valid. Gordon laid the groundwork for what Batman would become, showing a young Bruce Wayne what’s right and wrong in the world of fighting crime, and giving him a mentor he could trust.
After all, isn’t that what Gotham is all about?
Gotham will return to FOX with new episodes on Thursday, March 1 at 8pm ET.
