The comic book genre has been dominating the film world for years now, but various cinematic universes have been making bold narrative choices thanks to the multiverse. J.K. Simmons has a presence in both the MCU and DCEU, due to his roles as J. Jonah Jameson and James Gordon respectively. And as such, the Oscar-winning actor has a funny take on the multiverse. Let’s hear him out.
Audiences were delighted when J.K. Simmons reprised his role from Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man franchise, bringing a different version of J. Jonah Jameson to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Add in playing James Gordon in Batgirl, and the Whiplash actor is keeping super busy. But these role don’t mean that he knows how to keep track of what’s happening in the multiverse, as he recently shared:
Insert It's super cool to be, and for there to be room in the Marvel Universe, as we've seen, and in the DC Universe for these alternative universes or realities or whatever they are, I don't know.
Same, though. The multiverse can be a confusing place for even the most hardcore fan, so who can blame J.K. Simmons from getting things mixed up? After all he’s in two different shared universes, and there are countless superhero franchises making their way to theaters. Besides, he’s probably going to give a killer performance regardless.
J.K. Simmons’ comments to Variety come from the red carpet at the Critic’s Choice Awards. He was asked about his various superhero roles, and the confusing genre which they reside in. While fans can’t wait to see more of his characters James Gordon and J. Jonah Jameson, that doesn’t mean that he can keep track of all the multiversal action. And really, who could blame him?
J. Jonah Jameson most recently appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which was a wild crossover event featuring villains and heroes from the previous two franchises. J.K. Simmons previously admitted he wasn’t sure what was going on in the wild plot, and instead focused on his job as an actor. The performance was brief but impactful, and he nailed bringing Jameson back to life. The multiverse is going to become even more integral to the shared universe thanks to Doctor Strange 2, so things could get more confusing for Simmons.
As for the DC side of things, J.K. Simmons famously appeared as James Gordon in Justice League– both version of the movie. The Snyder Cut isn’t technically cannon, while it looks like his role in the upcoming Batgirl movie is set in the main DCEU. Later in the same interview, Simmons jokes about not being able to keep track of situations like this, saying:
I have no idea. They write a script and I learn the lines and the director says, ‘Stand over there.’
Hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Rather than being bogged down about the specifics of the multiverse like the the hardcore fandom, J.K. Simmons simply focuses on the job at hand. Namely, giving a great performance in projects like Batgirl and Spider-Man: No Way Home. After all, he’s an actor not a comic book writer.
Doctor Strange 2 will hit theaters on May 6th, while Batgirl is expected to hit HBO Max sometime this year. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
