‘Gotham’ Season 5 – A Time Jump, a Mustache, and a Batman
Speaking with ComicBook.com in the wake of Gotham‘s season 4 finale, executive producer John Stephens offered some not-so-subtle hints at what’s in store for the show’s final season.
Speaking on Gordon’s traditional look, Stephens noted that “Ben [McKenzie] is growing his facial hair as we speak.”
And it’s not just Gordon’s facial hair that will finally be making an appearance as Stephens confirmed that fans could expect “full satisfaction” as the show’s characters embrace their iconic identities. So we can look forward to seeing Catwoman, Penguin, Riddler, and hopefully even Joker fully formed before the series ends.
In fact, Riddler seems like he may be getting a lot of attention next season as Stephen’s teased that, as well as No Man’s Land, the final season will be taking at least some inspiration from Scott Snyder’s popular Batman: Zero Year story arc which saw the Riddler conquer Gotham (turning it into a rather No Man’s Land-esque environment) and a young Batman fighting to reclaim his city.
Speaking specifically on Bruce’s transformation, Stephen’s promised that “We’re going to see him make the final steps, you know? We are not gonna leave anything on the table … We’re gonna see him go all the way.” I can almost picture David Mazouz’s Bruce in costume, delivering the iconic “I’m Batman” whilst Danny Elfman’s classic theme plays in the background!
As for the timeline of the final season, Stephen’s was tight lipped but when asked about a possible time jump he simply said; “I would say that’s possible. [laughs] I would say that’s not a crazy theory.” Whilst this may be hinting at a jump at the end of the series, with Bruce doing his traditional travelling the world and then returning as Batman, I can’t help but feel that a time jump right at the end would hurt the narrative. You follow Bruce so far then miss his final steps and he returns ready to be Batman. With a longer real time gap between seasons I think it would make more sense to have the time jump there, opening the final season with a new status quo and then allowing us to follow these character’s journeys through to their conclusion. Whichever direction they go in, I’m excited to see how Gotham brings its story to a close as the legend of Batman begins.
Gotham returns to FOX in 2019.
Chris is a lifelong fan of Disney, Star Wars and super heroes who can’t quite believe this golden age of movies and TV we’re living in. Having written blogs dedicated to Disney’s Aladdin musical and Star Wars Celebration, Chris is excited to be part of the MNN team.
