GOTHAM Showrunner Says Killing Off Established DC Characters Is Not Out Of The Question
EW have posted their full, in-depth interview with Bruno Heller (Rome, The Mentalist) and in it he's asked about the perception that many of the Gotham characters are safe because they are established in Batman canon, and this is a prequel story. His answer might surprise you!
Even before the first episode premièred, many people failed to see the point of a show like Gotham...and not just because it would be a "Batman story without Batman". The feeling was that because so many (let's be honest, with the exception of Fish Mooney, all!) of the players were younger versions of established DC Comics characters that have a role to play in Bruce Wayne's life when he eventually dons the cape, that there would be a lack of surprise and overall suspense knowing that there's no way they'd ever be killed off. Well, that might not strictly be the case! EW ask Heller about deviating from canon by possibly sending someone down for the dirt nap, and here's what he said.
"I wouldn’t say it’s iron clad. You’d need a damn good reason to do it and a damn good end game to justify it. We’re certainly just learning the ropes at this stage. Not to be modest about it, but we’re still learning how to do a show this big. I’m always deeply reluctant to kill off characters simply for the shock value of killing them off. I’m not averse to cheap tricks. But apart from anything else, this season literally every actor has come through and [performed really strong]. I would hate to lose any of them. Killing off Sean Bean in the first season of Game of Thrones made everyone go, “Oh, what a good idea that is!” But I don’t think it’s a good idea if you’ve got Sean Bean. The bad one was on Deadwood, when they had David Carradine doing that marvelous Wild Bill Hickok, and then he was gone."
A lot of fans have taken issue with Gotham for the liberties it's taken already, I think if they killed off someone like The Penguin or The Riddler before Batman even has a chance to introduce himself it might be the final straw. Still, it sounds like it's only a possibility and not certain to happen. Heller also teases what's in store for Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) down the line, saying he eventually says "screw it" and takes the fight straight to the gangsters and corrupt politicians that run the city. "And just when Jim thinks he’s achieved a certain level of success against the powers-that-be, they pull a vicious table-turn on him that will play out in the last episodes of the season in a very big, scary theatrical way.". Much more at the link below.
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Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.