Welcome to Gotham City, bitch! FOX's prequel series has just cast its Commissioner Detective James Gordon—the lead who will be our anchor in a universe that explores the origins of the likes of The Joker, The Penguin and of course, the Bat himself—and it's Ben McKenzie.
The actor is of course most famous for his role as troubled teen/reformed bare-knuckled brawler Ryan Atwood on former FOX drama The O.C., but detractors before you cry foul do remember that McKenzie successfully stepped out of Ryan's spotlight and played the police offer part well as part of the main cast of beloved cop drama Southland. He even voiced Bruce Wayne in the animated Batman: Year One film. Do you think he'll be a good fit as young Jim Gordon or is this just the latest in a string of weird DC Comics characters casting choices?
The project is coming from Bruno Heller of The Mentalist and Rome fame. FOX head Kevin Reilly said of the origin series last month, "We’re not starting in that world where the villains are in costume. You see markers for it that are delicious you see where the evolution and eccentricity where they become those characters. We don’t start off with capes and costumes.”
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[via EW]
