GOTHAM to Feature the Graysons

Just when you thought Gotham City was getting full to the brim, FOX’s GOTHAM goes and adds some more familiar DC names to the mix. With the show already featuring adaptations of Catwoman, Poison Ivy, The Riddler, Penguin, Harvey Dent, Mr. Zsasz, and others, most of whom are villains-in-waiting at this stage, now comes confirmation that the Graysons, Jonathan and Mary, will be appearing in the show. The pair are, of course, the parents of a certain Boy Wonder.

Speak to EW, executive producer Bruno Heller revealed, “We’re going to do a prenatal origin story for Robin down the line. There are no MRIs involved. There’s an episode coming up where we learn how Robin’s parents got together.”

Just how the Graysons fit into things, we’ll have to wait and see. Maybe we’ll see some form of Haley’s Circus, although it all depends on how old they make the future parents of Dick Grayson. Logic suggests that the pair could be in their 20s, but in a world where Selina Kyle witnessed the death of the Waynes, anything could be possible.

One other name already confirmed to appear in the show is Jonathan Crane, the future Scarecrow. Apparently his father will feature in GOTHAM as the original Scarecrow, a mantle that Crane Jr. will then inherit. On Jonathan Crane’s inclusion, Heller added, “This is not a kid being a looney Scarecrow, this is a couple of episodes about how that character has evolved – everyone’s character is formed in their childhood to some degree or another.”

Another character who is rumoured to appear is Batman’s greatest nemesis, The Joker. Now whilst that’s merely been teased as this stage, Heller went on to reveal that The Joker’s main squeeze, Harley Quinn, won’t be appearing in the show just yet. “One of things about the size and scope and ambition of this production is that – it’s not that there’s lots of chefs in the kitchen, but there’s a lot of people with opinions and views and inside knowledge. That aspect of the show – which characters to use and when – is a source of constant discussion. And that may well have been an issue that came up and was dropped. We haven’t got Harley Quinn in it. Riddler’s girlfriend is coming up. And Harley Quinn is definitely planned for later on, but so far no. You can’t just keep pumping these characters into the show in a comic book sort of way, because you get the Super Friends effect – which isn’t a bad effect, but then you have spaceships and need to go underwater and get wacky villains and the rest of it. You have to work as a character piece first. First it has to be real.”

Remember, this is a show that was initially planned to be based on Jim Gordon. Let’s just hope that Gordon doesn’t end up lost in the shuffle.

Whatever way you look at it, GOTHAM has firmly split opinion amongst both fans and critics, with it seemingly the Marmite of the current crop of comic book television shows. If you’ve not managed to watch the show yet yourself, you can make your own mind up when it airs in the UK every Monday at 9pm on Channel 5.

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