Earlier today, the cast and crew of Gotham convened to unveil a surprisingly awful lot of information regardinging season 3. In attenance were Ben McKenzie (Jim Gordon), Morena Baccarin (Leslie Thompkins), Sean Pertwee (Alfred Pennyworth), David Mazouz (Bruce Wayne), Robin Lord Taylor (Penguin), Cory Michael Smith (Edward Nygma), Camren Bicondova (Selina Kyle), Erin Richards (Barbara Keane), Drew Powell (Butch Gilzean), Jessica Lucas (Tabitha Galavan), Michael Chiklis (Captain Barnes), Chris Chalk (Lucius Fox), and producers Danny Cannon and John Stephens.
After assembling the cast and crew, a highlight reel of notable moments in season 2 was played. At the end of which, you can glimpse about a minute of new footage from season 3, which is set to premere in September.
Last we saw of Gotham, monsters from Professor Strange’s Indian Hill facility were let loose into onto the city, where we got a glimpse of a Bruce Wayne doppelganger, just with much longer, shaggier hair. It is revealed that season 3 will take place 6 months after, in which our hero, Jim Gordon, is now a bounty hunter who hunts down these monsters. The show will explore the Court of Owls and as briefly seen in the footage, Alfred comes face to face with Talon, their assassin.
With the reveal of the Bruce doppelganger, Mazouz discusses playing the dual Bruce Waynes, the similarities and differences between the two. It is revealed that he has a mission and it will affect Bruce and Selina.
As was revealed earlier, Ivy has been recast with an older actress, Maggie Geha, and it was explained that being exposed to one of those monsters has aged her a few years. The relationship between her and Selina become strained as Selina was always protective of her, almost like an older sister.
It is then revealed that Nygma is still in Arkham, but that Penguin has been sending him gifts, maintaining that cringeworthy bromance introduced in the first half of season 2. Cory Michael Smith talks about how the character will be released and learns to embrace the other darker personality with the encouragement of Penguin.
The panel then opens up to questions from the fans. One fan inquires about which characters they’d like to see introduced in Gotham. Bicondova quickly replies with Harley Quinn. Powell follows up by chanting Bane repeatedly.
An attendee then inquires about what they like about their characters. Each person chimes in: Bicondova likes Selina’s complexity, Mazouz likes Bruce’s maturity, Baccarin enjoys Lee’s love for Jim, McKenzie jokes about Gordon’s hair, Chiklis quips on Barnes’ hair and then notes Barnes’ nobility, Powell likes Butch’s resourcefulness, Chalk enjoys Lucius’ calm and ingenuity, and Richards notes that Babs is ever changing and constantly striving to be the person she wants to be. Richards then goes to explain that in the 6 months, Barbara and Tabitha have started a night club called Sirens.
The next attendee wonders about how far the show can go following the murder of Theodore Galavan by our hero. Danny Cannon reveals that the show is based on creating a city that will eventually need a Batman. The show will focus on how the city will slowly spiral downward until there is a need for the Batman.
A question of the great immortal ecoterrorist, Ra’s Al Ghul is mentioned. The producers explain that he has been included in their talks, with no solid plans.
An attendee dressed as Batman asks about whether we will ever see Bruce in costume, kicking ass. The producers admit that the show is more so the journey into how Bruce becomes the Bat, so that they intend to keep the show going for as long as they can. It is revealed that in season 3, Bruce will in fact get more physical and that you will see him exercising more.
Talk of the Joker is ignited. Pertwee reveals that in the background of many shots of season 3, we will begin seeing graphitti of “hahaha” appear all over the city. It’s the idea of the Joker that’s being planted, almost creating a cult that will start appearing. These people idolize Jerome and he becomes a “Manson-like figure.” With regard to Jerome’s death, the producers hint at his possible return, saying that “In Gotham, death is not a barrier.”
At the end of the panel, it is revealed that everybody in line to ask a question was entered into a drawing to win a trip to the set of Gotham. McKenzie then reveals that the winner could have a chance to win $1 million. Although McKenzie claims that it was not in jest, he failed to mention any details regarding that portion of the contest. A winner was chosen at random.
There was an inquiry of any pranks on set, to which the casts denied of any, claiming that they all kind of enjoy each other’s company. The entire panel was made entirely enjoyable by their personal interactions. You could definitely see how well they all got along and genuinely like each other.
Season 3 of Gotham will premiere on Fox on Sepember 19th.