J.K. Simmons Admits Existing in Both DC and Marvel Universes Is Pretty Hard

Immediately thinking of the inimitable J. Jonah Jameson in the middle of one of his signature barked commands is easy to do when someone says the name J.K. Simmons, but all of that is about to change. As previously reported, Simmons recently signed on to breathe new life into Commissioner James Gordon in Zack Snyder's Justice League: Part One. This casting, of course, provides Simmons with the unmatched brag of existing in both the DC and the Marvel Cinematic Universes. As Simmons revealed to Stephen Colbert on Tuesday, this presents a unique set of obstacles.

"I don't have it yet," Simmons told Colbert when asked if he had procured the "special passport" required to go back and forth between DC and Marvel's respective universes. "The paperwork is in progress. I start in a couple months so hopefully those things will be sorted out by then." As for the difference between portraying the classic Spider-Man character and the equally classic Commissioner Gordon, Simmons says his take on Gordon still needs some work.

"Honestly, when I was playing JJJ, as the Marvel people call him, he seemed like a character to me that I just did my absolute best to just rip off the pages of the comic books," Simmons said of his days in the original Spider-Man trilogy. Jameson, Simmons notes, was a "very broad" character who provided bombastic comic relief. Gordon, however, has way more layers. "Truthfully, Commissioner Gordon I still have to do a lot of work on," the Whiplash star admitted. "I gotta figure out what my take is going to be." Justice League: Part One is due in November of next year, meaning our guy Simmons doesn't exactly have a ton of time to figure something out.