We've said it before and we will most certainly say it again: Gotham very clearly has no fear when it comes to playing fast and loose with iconic Batman villains. And it makes sense when we consider the fact that many of these legendary foes have been around as long as the Caped Crusader himself. That being said, the DNA of specific bad guys always seems plain to see for die-hard fans of the DC mythos. With the third season of the Batman prequel series on the horizon, it looks like the show has very much doubled down on that idea with the imminent introduction of The Mad Hatter. Check out a first glimpse of his lair below.
This latest image from the Gotham set comes to us courtesy of Zap2it, and it's a beautiful glimpse at what to expect from The Mad Hatter's lair when The Dark Knight's prequel series finally returns this fall. Overall it looks like a wonderful blend of the old and the new. Mad Hatter's hideout seemingly fits within the aesthetic that we have come to expect from Gotham's own unique take on The Caped Crusader's mythos, but it still maintains a strong degree of fidelity to the source material -- particularly in its use of clock imagery in the background. In true Mad Hatter fashion, there exists a seriously posh sensibility to the production design which leads us to believe that this version of the villain (much like his comic book counterpart) will maintain a notable affinity for the finer things in life.
As you probably already guessed, The Mad Hatter is a Batman villain known for his use of Lewis Carroll inspired gimmicks. Real name Jervis Tetch, Mad Hatter applies advanced technology to control the minds of his victims and force them to do his bidding, which basically makes him the perfect outlandish villain for Gotham to use at this point. The exact way in which he fits into the overall narrative of Gotham remains somewhat unclear, but given the utterly insane left-turns Gotham has taken recently, we probably won't even know where this story is headed until it's too late.
Despite the fact that Mad Hatter has become a fairly prominent villain in the comics and cartoons, he hasn't received a thoroughly faithful adaptation in live-action just yet. Now it seems that all eyes are on Gotham to set the standard, and possibly become the definitive version of Jervis Tetch on the small screen. As longtime fans of this particular universe, it's still almost hard to believe that we will finally see a true adaptation of such an obscure character.
Cinema Blend will bring you all of the latest and greatest Gotham news as it becomes available to us. The Batman prequel series continues to fill out its ranks, and The Mad Hatter could represent one of its best villains to date. Gotham will premiere on Monday, September 19 at 8 p.m. PST/EST; make sure to check out our comprehensive fall TV premiere schedule and mark your calendars accordingly.
