Although Bruce Wayne was one of the main characters on Gotham for the entirety of its five-season run, it was only in the final seconds of the Fox series that fans finally saw David Mazouz’s version of the character actually suited up as Batman. Even then, the superhero’s name was never said in the series finale, titled “The Beginning…”, with the closest coming to when Robin Lord Taylor’s Penguin referred to his new adversary as a “man dressed like a bat.” However, the bigger issue for Gotham executive producer John Stephens on the Dark Knight’s long-awaited arrival was the “frustrating” way the Batsuit was handled.
In an oral history published by IGN for the 10th anniversary of Gotham’s premiere, Stephens and Mazouz recalled how the latter was never actually suited up as Batman in the final episode, with his face instead being superimposed with CGI over a stunt double who was wearing the costume. While discussing Gotham’s series finale, Stephens talked about the headache that popped up with the Batsuit, saying:
You know, I haven't gone back to rewatch it, literally, since I watched it on air… The frustrating thing was, we couldn't use any of the other suits. There were all these suits out there. I feel like some other TV shows had made use of some of the suits from the movies, [but] they were all off limits to us, so we had to build our own suit. And those suits are incredibly expensive. So that was very frustrating, but [costume designer] John Glaser did a great job. It would have been easier if [we had] been able to modify an existing suit rather than having to build it from scratch.
He’s right that the Gotham production team would have had a much easier time if they’d been able to borrow one of the Batsuits worn by actors like Michael Keaton and Christian Bale. After all, although David Mazouz’s Batman was dealing with criminals like Penguin, Riddler and Jeremiah Valeska throughout the Gotham series finale, he was never directly shown until the very end. The Batsuit only needed to properly shown in the final shot when the costumed Bruce was standing on the rooftop looking down at James Gordon, Alfred Pennyworth and Harvey Bullock on the top of GCPD headquarters. So with the actor standing perfectly still, there wouldn’t have been any danger of damaging an existing Batsuit.
That ultimately wasn’t in the cards, and as John Stephens pointed out, making a brand-new Batsuit wasn’t cheap. David Mazouz mentioned that as well, although he did note there was one perk that came with creating a Batsuit specifically for Gotham. As the actor recalled:
They were really protective with the suit. It was only in that one scene, but it cost... I know it cost a lot of money, and they locked it away. The first time I saw it in person was at the San Diego Museum. They had a Batman exhibit, with a bunch of suits, and my Batsuit was next to all the other Batsuits.
Given that Gotham was always intended to end with Batman’s first appearance, fans of the series will have to imagine how the costumed exploits of this Bruce Wayne ended up unfolding. But, as has been the case for a long time now, one doesn’t need to look far to witness a live-action Batman instilling fear into the hearts of criminals. Robert Pattinson brought Bruce Wayne to life in The Batman and will reprise the role in 2026’s The Batman: Part II. Additionally, the DC Universe’s Batman will be introduced at a yet-to-be-revealed date in The Brave and the Bold, which will pair this Bruce with his son Damian, who’s fighting by his side as Robin.
If you’re interested in revisiting Gotham or perhaps watching it for the first time, all you need is a Max subscription to stream its five seasons. Otherwise, continue visiting CinemaBlend for news on upcoming DC movies and upcoming DC TV shows.
