Having consistently turned Batman's mythos upside down for the past two and a half seasons, Gotham is going to reach even deeper into its bag of bat-shit lunacy by introducing legendary villain Ra's al Ghul when Season 3 returns in the spring. And what's more, the producers have tapped the super-talented Star Trek: Deep Space Nine veteran Alexander Siddig to play the mystical antagonist whose presence in Gotham City is all but good for Jim Gordon & Co.
TV fans have already seen a live-action Ra's al Ghul in recent years on The CW's Arrow, but we shouldn't expect much of a crossover in terms of plot mechanics. While we already know that Ra's is best recognized as the leader of the League of Assassins, Gotham will also put him at the head of the shadowy Court of Owls organization that has been causing troubles for Jim and Bruce, among others. Not a lot of other details are given beyond him being "enigmatic," which is kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy. But, of course, he's going to be a major danger to anyone standing in the Court's way.
Ra's al Ghul coming to Gotham is extremely interesting, considering the Fox drama started its run as a relatively grounded series. The plots and characters have grown increasingly weirder and wackier, of course, with Hugo Strange's already introducing the concept of resurrection. Ra's is known for his Lazarus Pit, which can also raise folks from the dead, beyond granting other restorative properties, as well as all-around immortality. Not the Pit, nor any of the villain's other supernatural powers, were mentioned in DC's announcement, but they won't likely stay hidden for long, if at all.
Also interestingly, Gotham has shown us that Jim's uncle Frank Gordon is tied up with the Court of Owls, so that obviously means he's one of Ra's al Ghul's minions in some respect. Which could also lead to a reveal that Jim and Ra's are connected in some other way beyond just Good Guy and Bad Guy.
We are pumped to see what Alexander Siddig brings to the role, as the Sudan-born actor can play heroic or villainous with equal ease, and he knows how to draw the eye while doing it. Best known among genre fans for his breakout role as Doctor Bashir in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Siddig is also recognizable for roles in shows such as 24, Primeval, Da Vinci's Demons and Aquarius. Most recently, he had a recurring role on Game of Thrones as Doran Martell and in the third season of Peaky Blinders.
Gotham will finally return to Fox for the remainder of Season 3 on Monday, April 30, when we'll get to properly meet The Riddler. Check out what we can expect from the puzzling baddie and then head to our midseason premiere schedule to see what'll arrive on your TVs before the Ra'surrection.
