While Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice introduced a bevy of new iterations of DC Comics characters, we’ll get at least one more major reinvention with next year’s Justice League: Commissioner Gordon. Indeed, director Zack Snyder’s superhero team-up film will introduce the famous Batman character, with Oscar-winner J.K. Simmons stepping into the role that was most recently filled by Gary Oldman in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy. However, as with all things concerning this new DC Extended Universe, this new Commissioner Gordon will be quite different from the screen iterations we’ve seen thus far.

Speaking with EW, Simmons revealed that he’s due back in London for one last go-around of shooting before his time on the picture is complete, adding that he’ll “hopefully get to play Commissioner Gordon in a handful of movies” assuming everything works out. But as for what kind of Gordon we’ll see in the movie, Simmons hopes to bring some edge and independence to the character:


“People of my generation remember Commissioner Gordon as this jolly, ineffectual Santa Claus type, and I think over the years in the comics there’s definitely much more of a badass side to him. One of the things that’s interesting to me is investigating hopefully a little bit more of that badass [side]…You’re living in a universe where it’s pretty tough to be a badass compared to somebody like Batman, but in the universe of non-superheroes I like the idea of Commissioner Gordon as a guy that can take care of himself, a guy that’s a real partner to Batman, not just a guy that turns on the bat signal and goes, ‘Help! Help, Batman!’”

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Image via Sony Pictures Classics

While I’m not sure I’d classify Oldman’s Gordon as “Santa Claus-esque”, it is interesting to hear that this Gordon will be more independent of Batman in terms of physicality and ability. Indeed, Ben Affleck’s iteration of Batman is one who’s been around the block many times, so it stands to reason that Gordon has a long-established relationship with Batman and, as such, knows the ropes by now—especially given how many baddies they've put away at Belle Reve.

But if you’re thinking those photos of Simmons working out that exploded the internet have to do with this badass Commissioner Gordon, hold your horses. The Whiplash actor explained to The Huffington Post that his workout routine had nothing to do with Justice League, and is simply a result of his commitment to staying in shape:

“I just like to work out now. And getting to the gym really has nothing… I’m not going to the gym because of Justice League. I’m just going to the gym because after the last time I got super fat and out of shape, I decided that I was done doing that.” I was going to — for as long as I’m going to be on the planet — I’m going to try and take care of myself. So that’s pretty much coincidental [to filming Justice League].”

So while we’ll see a Commissioner Gordon in Justice League that can handle himself, I’m not sure we should be holding our breath for some fisticuffs action. For more on Justice League, peruse Steve’s set visit coverage below. The film opens in theaters on November 17, 2017.


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