Though Gotham has really done a great job in working in a lot of lesser-known villains from the Batman franchise for Season 4, one classic villain apparently couldn't be worked out. Executive producer John Stephens says that though the team attempted to find a date for Calendar Man to appear, it just wasn't in the cards:
Oh 100%. There's been a lot of conversations about him. We got really close to using him this year, but we could not. But he's one of the ones who's on deck as saying, 'Well, we gotta use Julian Day.'
While it may be disappointing that Julian Gregory Day (whose full name is a play on calendars by the way) won't be in Gotham Season 4, at least John Stephens told Comicbook that he's on a short list to appear in the series sooner or later. Still, it would've been great to see one of Gotham City's more oddball villains get a chance to rub shoulders with the likes of Professor Pyg or Solomon Grundy as fans prepare for an incredible season. If nothing else, it's reassuring to know they're saving at least SOME villains for future seasons!
Why Calendar Man "could not," appear in Season 4 was not specified by John Stephens, but knowing the character it may be because the villain ties his attacks to holidays. If there's no holiday episode planned for Season 4 of Gotham, then it's a no-brainer that Calendar Man shouldn't be used until such a thing can be adequately planned for. Ideally, a Christmas themed Gotham episode dedicated to the villain would be a great gift for fans come Season 5, but really just any episode featured around a holiday will do.
Fans shouldn't dwell on Calendar Man's absence from Season 4 too long, though, as Gotham has already teased arguably better things, like a super dark version of Ra's Al Ghul. There's also the beginning of Bruce's transformation into Batman, which, from what was shown in the premiere, looks like it's going to be quite a learning process before he's full-blown Batman. With so many things happening and a lot more stuff planned down the road, fans may be better served to focus on all that will be happening as opposed to what will not.
Gotham is all new Thursday, September 28th at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. For more on what appears to be an exciting Season 4, be sure to read up on who Jerome will be teaming up with, or how Lucius Fox will have more to do this season than in the past. For a full list of all the new and returning programming coming over the next couple of months, visit our fall premiere guide.
