The DC Extended Universe may have had a rocky takeoff, but Warner Bros. has hit its stride with the last few releases. Shazam! and Aquaman proved what the shared universe could do, while Joker was set outside of the DCEU and has earned a whopping 11 Oscar nominations. There's some very exciting blockbusters coming down the line, with Birds of Prey and The Batman putting an emphasis on Gotham City. The latter movie will feature Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon, and new casting information may have revealed a twist related to his character.
The Batman has been developing for years, and it's currently unclear how director Matt Reeves will acknowledge and/or move on from Ben Affleck's tenure as the title character. This includes J.K. Simmons' appearance James Gordon in Justice League. Jeffrey Wright is one of the many A-listers attached to The Batman, although he might not exactly be playing Commissioner Gordon. Namely, because he might not have gotten that title yet.
This update comes to us from IMDB, which lists the full cast of The Batman as it heads into production. Below the big names like Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz lists an actor Alex Ferns in the role of Commissioner Pete Savage. So it's likely that The Batman will follow as Jim steps up in the Gotham City Police Department-- possibly ascending to Commissioner by the upcoming blockbuster's end. Of course, this is all speculation at this point.
Rumors about The Batman indicate that Matt Reeves is focusing on a younger and more green version of the Dark Knight. While Batfleck was jaded and battle scarred, Robert Pattinson's should be be less experienced. There were also reports that The Batman would highlight the title character's skill as a detective. This hasn't really been a factor in the character's life on the big screen, and would bring something new to the table.
Jeffrey Wright is a great choice to play James Gordon, as his profile has only continued to grow as his impressive career continues on. He's currently starring in HBO's Westworld, and has proven his ability to balance action and honesty. And he's not the only acclaimed actor who will be populating Gotham City in The Batman.
Matt Reeves assembled a killer cast for The Batman, which has helped to satiate the rabid fans who have been waiting years for the movie. Alongside Robert Pattinson and Jeffrey Wright are Paul Dano as The Riddler, Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, and Colin Farrell as Penguin. Clearly Batman is going to have his work cut out for him with all these villains to wrangle. Luckily, Gordon should be a major resource.
I'm curious to see when The Batman is set, and if it ties in at all to Birds of Prey. Rosie Perez is playing GCPD's Renee Montoya in the upcoming blockbuster, so she would presumably be Gordon's colleague. But Matt Reeves sets his movie in a different time, that would keep those stories separate.
The Batman is set to arrive in theaters on June 25th, 2021. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
