Oscar-winning actor J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) has reportedly joined the cast of Justice League: Part One in the role of James Gordon, the commissioner of Gotham’s police department and Batman’s longtime ally. It’s uncertain what role Gordon will play in the film, but it’s worth noting that Gordon will be introduced in the first Justice League movie rather than the upcoming Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice — which suggests that very little of the latter film will be set in Batman’s city.
The Hollywood Reporter first brought news of Simmons’ casting. Given Batman’s veteran hero status in Dawn of Justice, it seems reasonable to expect that Gordon and Batman will have known each other for quite a while by the time Justice League brings all of the DC Comics superheroes together.
While the casting is still unofficial at this point and hasn’t been confirmed by Warner Bros. Pictures, Simmons is expected to join a cast that already includes Ben Affleck as Batman, Henry Cavill as Superman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, Ezra Miller as The Flash, and Amber Heard as Queen Mera (the wife of Aquaman). Filming for Justice League: Part One will likely begin in April.
A recent Academy Award winner for his role in Whiplash, Simmons is no stranger to comic-book movie roles. He portrayed Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson in all three of the original Spider-Man movies and reprised the role in multiple animated series well after the movie franchise had stalled. He’s also voiced a few DC Comics characters in various animated series to go along with his Marvel-related roles.
Simmons is one of several actors to portray Gordon in live-action roles, with Gary Oldman most recently playing the character in all three installments of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy and Ben McKenzie currently portraying the character in the Gotham television series.
Justice League: Part One hits theaters November 10, 2017.
