The myth and the lore surrounding The Batman is poised to expand on the small screen through the untitled Gotham PD spinoff. Set before the events of the 2022 DCEU film, the police procedural series will explore the corruption that lurks within Gotham City as well as several unannounced compelling and complex characters.
It was also confirmed that the exact timeline where the show will be set will be during Year One of Bruce Wayne's heroic turn as the Dark Knight. Based on this reveal, the show provides a unique opportunity to showcase the dangers of Gotham while also digging deep into how criminals learned about the existence of the Caped Crusader.
Production for the spinoff has yet to commence, but the show already lost its original showrunner, Terence Winter, due to creative differences. Despite that, Joe Barton was announced as the replacement, and it looks like it's only a matter of time before cameras start rolling.
Now, new details about the show have emerged, providing more clues on where the narrative will go.
A GOTHAM CROSSOVER
While speaking with The Wrap, HBO content chief Casey Bloys addressed the strong connections between Matt Reeves' The Batman and the Gotham PD spinoff on HBO Max.
When asked if characters from the feature film will appear in the TV show, Bloys shared that a crossover was always the idea, pointing out that they “don't want to reserve characters just for films or for TV." This generally confirms that characters from the Robert Pattinson-led project will appear in the Gotham-centric spinoff.
"That's the idea. Matt Reeves is obviously a producer on “Gotham City PD.” We don't want to reserve characters just for films or for TV. There should be kind of some fluidity between them. So that is the idea. I mean, we're in very early stages on that. So I don't want to suggest that any one character will be. But yes, that is, generally speaking, that is the idea, that there will be crossover."
WILL BRUCE WAYNE APPEAR IN THE SERIES?
As it is, it makes sense for the characters from the film to crossover into the HBO Max series. This whole approach from HBO Max and Warner Bros. is similar to the strategy Marvel is using when it comes to their Disney+ shows. In a way, that's a good thing.
By following this trend, it has the potential to create more storylines along the way while also introducing more exciting characters that can easily be featured in a potential sequel to The Batman.
On the surface, Jeffrey Wright's Jim Gordon is the clear-cut favorite to appear in the Gotham spinoff. After all, the main focus of the show is Gotham PD, and it's hard to envision a scenario where Gotham's police commissioner is not featured.
Meanwhile, this raised the question whether Bruce Wayne will appear in some capacity in the series. In a way, it makes sense in the narrative for the playboy billionaire to be involved in some form, but the series should be careful in using the character. This is to prevent the attention of fans to shift towards Batman and not focus on the GCPD anymore.
Overall, the crossover is an exciting prospect for the spinoff, and it presents a wide array of possibilities for The Batman franchise as a whole.
