Ben McKenzie Says GOTHAM Is A "Battle Over Bruce Wayne's Soul"
In a new interview, Gotham's Ben McKenzie (Det. Jim Gordon) has discussed the differing characterisations of his character and Alfred (Sean Pertwee) and the battle over the soul of Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz). Check it out!
Ben McKenzie, star of Gotham, has shed some light on the show's response to fan expectations and the characterisation of his character, police Detective Jim Gordon. "I would say that there’s always pressure when you’re dealing with a world that is so beloved by the fans of that world," he says. "Batman has got to be the deepest and broadest fan base in the entire world, I would think. They care deeply about it, and the responsibility you have as a creative entity within this thing to try to do it well enough to where they don’t hate you. [But] not having Batman I feel is kind of freeing. We’ve seen Bruce at 12, but we usually just use that as the backstory and then jump forward. So the fact that we sit there in the present and watch this young man try to understand what his future will be, because he is presented with both alternatives, is a special thing. Alfred and I will battle over his soul, effectively."
McKenzie explains that Alfred (played by Sean Pertwee) has been reinterpreted as a hard-nosed military man, similar to Geoff Johns and Gary Frank's Batman: Earth One, and Gordon is a little gentler. He says that this mentality is demonstrated in the scene where he comforts young Bruce (David Mazouz) after the murder of his parents. "He's like, 'These [feelings] that you want to push aside are what keep us human and keep us honest.' After all, that’s what true heroism is, right? True heroism is not saying, 'I’m going to take a pill that keeps me from feeling fear and plunge into battle.' I need to feel this fear and overcome it for the sake of a larger good. Those are the sorts of things we’ll address on this show." Gotham premieres this fall.
A new recruit in Captain Sarah Essen's Gotham City Police Department, Detective James Gordon is paired with Harvey Bullock to solve one of Gotham's most high-profile cases ever: the murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne. During his investigation, Gordon meets the Waynes' son, Bruce, now in the care of his butler Alfred, which further compels Gordon to catch the killer. Along the way, Gordon must confront gang boss Fish Mooney, as well as many of Gotham's future villains, such as Selina Kyle and Oswald Cobblepot. Eventually, Gordon is forced to form an unlikely friendship with Bruce, one that will help shape the boy's future in becoming the Dark Knight.
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