Superhero shows and movies are everywhere nowadays. With three shared universes and a bevy of TV shows currently airing on the small screen, it seems like you can't turn a corner without bumping into superhero in tights. But some properties are attempting to shake up the genre, including Fox's Batman prequel series Gotham. Gotham uses the beloved Batman mythology and characters, but isn't afraid to take risks and plot changes that are unique from the source material. And perhaps no villain is quite a popular as Jerome, who is the show's current stand-in for a Joker character. And now we know where Jerome is headed during his appearance in Season 4: someplace wholly original from the comics. Gotham co-executive producer Bryan Wynbrandt recently teased Jerome's arc, saying:
This is really something that just we as a room cooked up and it's a really unique and an original kind of take on a storyline for him. . . . We feel like, where The Killing Joke was so obviously and intentionally a touchstone in the last run, there is nothing of that kind of ilk for this. Now, there's always things that will make you go, 'Oh it's a little bit like this or it's a little bit I see the inspiration there. I see the inspiration here.' But this is a very original kind of take on this story and we're really excited about it because his reintroduction into the Gotham world is going to have him crossing with characters we've not yet seen him with. Which is really kind of a theme we've been playing with this whole season and something we challenged ourselves over designing this season.
It looks like Jerome will be stepping out of The Joker's shadow a bit this season, while also very much filling in the anarchist space that is current void of the Clown Prince of Crime.
It should be interesting to see exactly how Gotham allows Jerome more room to grow as a character. We know he'll be teaming up with fellow villain The Penguin this season, so perhaps Cobblepot will help the Joker prototype spread his wings and take a stronger hold on the city.
And while Jerome's role on Gotham has always been tertiary, it looks like his action in Season 4 may affect the show moving forward in a big way. In his same conversation with ComicBook, Bryan Wynbrandt teased Jerome's important role in the future of the series, saying:
You're going to love it and the fans are going to love it and it really goes to a really interesting place and has ripple effects not just in this season but hopefully, knock on wood, next season as well.
Alas, we'll just have to wait and see as Gotham continues forward in it fourth season, complete with Jerome.
Gotham airs new episodes Thursdays on FOX. Be sure to check out our cancellation list to see if your favorite show got the axe.
