When Jeffrey Wright and Gary Oldman worked together on the 1996 film Basquiat, the actors had no idea they'd both end up portraying the same famous character in two separate Batman franchises. As of now, we are days away from the release of The Batman, the Robert Pattinson-led film that introduces Wright as the new Jim Gordon. Gary Oldman previously played the role alongside Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy.
Before either actor had played Gordon, they co-starred in Basquiat. Taking to Instagram, Wright posted an image of himself alongside Oldman from their days filming Basquiat together. In the caption, Wright says, "Two Gordons. 1995. Gotham City. Pass the light." You can check out the photo below.
Gary Oldman is a fan favorite Jim Gordon for many, given his prominence in The Dark Knight, widely seen as one of the greatest superhero movies of all time. The earlier reviews for The Batman, however, are suggesting this new film will be among the best Batman movies ever, right up there with Christopher Nolan's popular movie. For a new generation, this may also introduce a new fan favorite Gordon in Wright.
Will Jeffrey Wright Get His Own Batman Movie Trilogy?
Matt Reeves directs The Batman using a screenplay co-written with Peter Craig. Along with Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon, the film stars Robert Pattinson, Zoe Kravitz, Paul Dano, Colin Farrell, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard, and Andy Serkis. It is set in a standalone universe about two years into Batman's life of fighting crime as a vigilante in Gotham City. Given the early reviews and projected box office success, chances are that sequels will come, so we're probably seeing just the start of Wright's turn as Gordon.
What we do know is that the film will get at least two spinoff shows, one following Colin Farrell's Oswald Cobblepot and his rise in Gotham as the supervillain Penguin. The other spinoff show, in development at HBO Max, will follow the officers working with Gotham's police department. It seems logical that Gordon would be involved in this series in some fashion, but he hasn't been confirmed for the show at this time. As for The Batman, Wright has teased that Pattinson makes an excellent new Dark Knight.
"Robert is gonna do his thing, and we were working within a Matt Reeves vision, so you know, Robert is doing what Robert does and it's gonna be pretty badass I think," Wright previously told ET. "I loved working with him, I love his take and his energy and the way that he kind of brought different levels to different parts of the story. And we work off of one another. I just tried to give him Gordon things, and he did his Batman thing."
The Batman will be released in movie theaters on March 4, 2022, following a very long production filled with many significant delays.