Grassroots petitions and sheer fan demand may be coaxing him back to the Marvel universe and Jon Watts’ Spider-Man reboot, but today The Hollywood Reporter brings word that J.K. Simmons has boarded Warner’s Justice League movie as Commissioner Gordon.
Just in time, too, considering that Zack Snyder’s superhero ensemble piece is set to lens at the beginning of next month, and Simmons is now on board as Gotham’s other watchful protector.
There he’ll join Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill, fresh off their roles in this month’s Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, with Gal Gadot rounding out the DC trinity as Wonder Woman. Aquaman (Jason Momoa), The Flash (Ezra Miller) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher) will also feature, just don’t expect to lay eyes on Warner’s reinvented Green Lantern until Justice League – Part Two in 2019.
Recently portrayed by Gary Oldman across Christopher Nolan’s seminal Dark Knight trilogy, James Gordon has been an enduring stalwart of the Batman universe from the beginning, serving as the Caped Crusader’s loyal confidant from inside Gotham’s police force. Lyle Talbot, Neil Hamilton and Pat Hingle have also played Gordon across film and television.
In terms of Simmons, THR doesn’t disclose whether the actor’s casting heralds a multi-picture deal, with him possibly appearing in Ben Affleck’s solo Batman movie as well. At the very least, a small role in Justice League – Part Two appears to be a safe bet at this stage.
It may not be J. Jonah Jameson, but J.K. Simmons will enter the superhero spectrum once more as Commissioner Gordon in Justice League – Part One. It’s pegged for a release on November 17, 2017, though you can catch Simmons much sooner in Disney’s rather excellent Zootopia.
