It's kind of hard to have a Batman prequel without Batman, but that's the issue that Fox's "Gotham" has been dealing with. Instead of focusing on the origins of the Caped Crusader, "Gotham" has followed the early career exploits of detective Jim Gordon long before he was rigging up search lights in the sky. Viewers still get a young Bruce Wayne in "Gotham," but the story really belongs to Gordon and a handful of iconic Batman villains.
But will "Gotham" ever introduce the Dark Knight? Star Ben McKenzie answered that question at Wizard World Chicago this past weekend.
"The last frame of the last shot of the last scene of the last episode of Gotham, whatever season that may be, is Bruce putting on that cape," McKenzie said via ComicBook.com.
In other words, don't hold your breath.
Young Bruce has already started on his path towards vigilantism in "Gotham," learning the basics of hand-to-hand combat and dabbling in his own detective work. But he is far from the full-fledged crime fighter fans have come to know and love. "Gotham" was always meant to be a precursor; a tale of how the city of Gotham became so crazed and crime ridden that someone like Batman was even necessary. So it makes sense that the show would put off the hero's reveal until the very end of its run.
However, "Gotham" may not have the opportunity for such a slow play. Fox has been known to cancel series with little to no warning in the past, and "Gotham" didn't hold the eight million viewers it premiered to throughout its first season. Additionally, the show's critical reception has been mixed at best.
Perhaps season two will help reinvigorate interest in the series. Showrunner Bruno Heller ("The Mentalist," "Rome") has promised that the new season will feature the rise of a handful of classic DC Comics villains, possibly including the Joker and Harley Quinn. Such reveals would surely lay the groundwork for an eventual masked vigilante.
"Gotham" will return to Fox on Monday, Sept. 21.
