Lt. James "Jim" Gordon is an officer in the Gotham City Police Department and ally of the Batman. Gordon often served as a contact between the vigilante and the GCPD, often serving a mediator between them. Gordon would also help Batman on a series of cases, including the capture of mobster Carmine Falcone and investigations into the Riddler.
Biography[]
Early Career[]
Jim Gordon had been on the GCPD for years before Batman's operations began. During his career, he was partnered with Pete Savage, becoming friends over their years of service. Gordon was also among the officers who worked on the Maroni Drug Bust alongside Savage and other officers, which incarcerated Sal Maroni and disbanded his crime family. Unknown to him and others, these were assisted by Carmine Falcone through information gathered at the 44 Below. Gordon's involvement in the case presumably helped facilitate his promotion to Lieutenant and placement on the Major Crimes Unit. Despite most of the GCPD being corrupt or in the pocket of Falcone, he remained clean and refused to become involved with criminals.
At some point during Batman's first year, Gordon entered an alliance the vigilante after he proved to be trustworthy. They would work cases together and capture criminals, often using an abandoned skyscraper as a meeting place. By the vigilante's second year, Gordon had begun allowing to help cases as a consultant for cases, even allowing him to visit crime scenes and gather clues. They also established the Bat-Signal to call each other to their meeting spot.
The Batman[]
Mitchell Investigation[]
Gordon at the lit Bat-Signal
On Halloween of Batman's second year, Gordon was among the officers to be called to investigate the murder of Mayor Don Mitchell Jr.. Discovering a message left by the killer to Batman, Gordon called the vigilante to the scene using the Batsignal. Despite apprehension from his officers, Gordon managed to get the vigilante on to the scene. Consulting the Lead Detective, they discovered that Mitchell had been killed by repeated blunt-force trauma to the head. They also showed Batman both the message and a cryptograph found on the scenes, even reading out the former and a riddle left in it.
Midway through the investigation, Savage arrived on the scene and yelled at Gordon for allowing Batman on the scene. Showing the message left to the Commissioner, he tried to deny assumptions that the vigilante was involved in the murder. The confrontation was interrupted by Batman, who answered the message's riddle. As Savage demanded the vigilante left, Gordon led him off the scene. As Batman took notice of Mitchell's Son, Gordon convinced him to leave. He was later seen among the GCPD officials during the press conference announcing Mitchell's murder and their investigation into it.
After Batman solved the clues found on the crime scene, he called Gordon to help investigate Mitchell's garage, believing that the "drive" clue pointed to one of the mayor's cars. Together, they discovered a gardening cutter lodged in one of the cars' tires and, through further investigation, found a USB stick with Mitchell's thumb attached. Using his laptop, Gordon and Batman were able to unlock the drive and discovered it contained photos of the mayor with members of the Falcone Crime Syndicate, including the Penguin and an unidentified woman. However, the thumb drive also contained malware, which sent emails of the photos to various press organizations through Gordon's account. This led Gordon worry that Savage would reprimand him for leaking the information.
Savage's Murder[]
After Savage was murdered by Mitchell's killer (now publicly calling himself "the Riddler"), Gordon allowed Batman into the GCPD morgue to investigate his body. He pointed out a rat theme in the murder and further clues left behind for the vigilante. As Batman investigated, they discovered another cypher hidden in the deathtrap and a message. Gordon was surprised to find evidence that Savage was corrupt, even associated with a drops dealer in the Gotham East End. After being informed by Martinez that other officers were coming, he and Batman left the scene.
The following night, Gordon was summoned to the skyscraper by Batman. After turning the Bat-Signal off, he learned that Mitchell and Savage had been murdered because of their association to the Maroni Drug Bust. Batman also revealed that the DA Gil Colson was also involved and suggested Gordon got him to cooperate. Gordon worried that he might also be targeted, though Batman assured him that Riddler was only going after corrupt officials.
Mitchell's Funeral[]
Despite his precautions, Gordon learned that Colson had disappeared the night before. He attended Mitchell's funeral to inform Chief Bock. Gordon also noticed Bruce Wayne after Martinez greeted the billionaire. Moments later, he took cover as a car ran through the event. Gordon led the police and ordered the occupant to leave the vehicle, revealing them to be a captive Colson. Noticing a bomb collar, he ordered the officers to clear the area to protect everyone present. Gordon helped the GCPD respond to the situation, though received heat from Bock due to Batman's involvement.
After Colson's bomb collar detonated and killed the DA, Gordon was among the officers to guard Batman as they took him into the Police Headquarters. He attempted to serve as mediator between both the officers and vigilante, heated further due to the officer's attempts to unmask Batman and the vigilante's allegations towards Bock. Eventually, Gordon asked for a moment alone with the vigilante, convincing the officers to give them the room. After they left, he subtly planned an escape with Batman, giving him the keys to the roof so he could escape. During it, Batman pointed out Dt. Kenzie to Gordon, identifying him as a cop on Penguin's payroll. The meeting ended with Gordon being knocked out by Batman with a punch, something he'd suggested to avoid giving him heat.
Chasing the Penguin[]
After Batman's escape, Gordon met with him at the skyscraper, during which he warned the vigilante of an APB being ordered on him by Bock. With no leads, Gordon suggested that Penguin was the informant in the Maroni case due to his connections at the 44 Below, suspecting he'd been caught in a crime and given up Maroni to avoid being charged. Batman agreed with him due to clues left in Savage's death trap being interpreted as meaning "stool pigeon". Staking out the Iceberg Lounge together, they noticed Penguin, Kenzie and the Twins leaving the club with a series of bags.
Following them to a recycling plant, Gordon communicated with Batman as he investigated the building and learned it was a drops lab. Suspecting that the operations had not stopped and had been taken over by the Falcone Syndicate, Gordon realized that the Maroni Bust was actually a fraud to get the narcotic under Falcone's control. After Batman was spotted by Penguin and his men, Gordon drove into action to protect the vigilante. This resulted in a gunfight between him and the men, during which he managed to shoot several of his opponents. The fight presumably ended after Penguin fled the scene, with Gordon managing to avoid injury.
Meeting up with Batman after he captured Penguin, Gordon met with the vigilante and interrogated Penguin. Hoping he knew Riddler's identity, they laid out a possible scenario for him, accusing him of being caught in a minor crime and giving up Maroni to avoid being convicted. Gordon went as far to show Savage's mutilated face to intimidate Penguin and the clues left in Riddler's trap. However, the mobster denied the allegations and laughed off their "el rata alada" for being poor Spanish. As Penguin mocked them for misinterpreting information, Gordon suggested Riddler had made a mistake, though Batman quickly realized the killer had actually left them a URL to his website. Gordon watched the conversation between Batman and killer and accompanied him to investigate the Gotham Orphanage, leaving a bound Penguin behind.
Renewal is a Lie[]
Upon arrival, Gordon helped open the doors and investigate, drawing his gun to Batman's chagrin. He followed the vigilante down the hallways, guided by arrows graffiti drawn on the walls. After noticing a figure in the distance, Gordon chased them down only to find a group of dropheads. They soon discovered a projector in a presentation room, showing Thomas Wayne's announcement for mayoral election. Noting the words "sins of the father" written on the walls, Gordon realized that Riddler's next target was Bruce Wayne. He soon noticed Batman had left without his awareness, having also deduced this and left to warn someone.
Gordon later responded to the Batsignal being lit, believing Batman had done so. However, he found the vigilante arriving shortly after him, leaving them confused. Upon arrival, they discovered it was actually Catwoman, who had captured Kenzie. As the dirty cop begged for Gordon's help, the thief played an audio recording on her phone of Annika meeting with him and Falcone. Gordon listened along with Batman, during which it revealed Falcone was the rat and heard him strangling Annika.
After listening, Gordon confronted Kenzie on the GCPD's involvement, leading him to reveal that Falcone had used Thomas Wayne's Gotham Renewal Corporation to aid his activities. He sided with Batman on arresting Falcone against Catwoman. When the thief kicked Kenzie from the rooftop, Gordon helped Batman pull him to safety via grappling line. As the vigilante left to stop her, he provided Gordon with the recording, suggesting he used the GCPD to arrest him. Gordon presumably took Kenzie into custody. After the encounter, he leaked the recording to GCN1. With the evidence made public, he was able to organize an entire squad of police to bring Falcone into custody.
Capturing Falcone and Riddler[]
Gordon arrived shortly after Batman foiled Catwoman's attempt on Falcone's life, greeting him and the mobster as they arrived at the Iceberg Lounge's doors. When Falcone mockingly suggested the police would release him, Gordon opened them to reveal his men. He then placed Falcone under arrest, reading him his rights as Martinez placed him in cuffs. Gordon also witnessed Falcone's heated exchange with Penguin, though its unknown whether he either helped restrain the mobster as he drew a gun at Falcone. However, Carmine was killed by a sniper from a rooftop, who Batman quickly identified as Riddler. Gordon quickly changed focus to arresting the killer, leading the officers to his vantage point.
- "He said put your goddamn hands up, you son of a bitch!"
- ―Gordon whilst arresting Riddler[src]
Gordon and his officers arrived at the vantage point shortly after Batman did. They soon discovered it had been Riddler's hideout, decorated with various files including evidence boards and prototypes of his traps. Gordon was soon contacted by Martinez, who revealed a witness had seen Riddler flee into a nearby diner. He and his officers soon arrived and took Riddler into custody.
Gordon was among the police officers to investigate Riddler's lair, during which they received word he'd been identified as Edward Nashton. During the investigation, he read one of Riddler's journals aloud to his officers. Gordon took notice of a caged animal reacting to Batman's presence, though mistook it for a rat before learning it was actually a bat. When the Dark Knight uncovered the tool used to kill Mitchell and another message from Riddler, they realized the serial killer had further plans. As his officers uncovered more evidence, Gordon received a call learning that Riddler wanted to meet with Batman. As the vigilante left to what he believed to be his end, he called Gordon a good cop in what was believed to be their final meeting.
Battle at Gotham Square Garden[]
When Gotham's seawalls were destroyed by car bombs and flooded the city, Gordon arrived at Gotham Square Garden to help evacuate and search the building for threats on Bella Reál's life. Taking charge of the officers there, he gave orders to search the building and meet with the mayor elect. After making his way to the stage, Gordon spoke with Reál, suggesting that they got her clear. However, she refused to follow him, wanting to stay behind and calm the crowds. When Reál was shot by one of Riddler's men, Gordon quickly dashed onto stage and pulled her to safety. Though he attempted to aim at Riddler's men, their cover in the rafters and height advantage meant neither he or his officers could get a clear shot.
When Batman arrived and began fighting the group, Gordon decided to get to the rafters and help the vigilante. He and several officers were able to get their moments after the fight finished, finding Batman beating down the last member under the influence of adrenaline. Gordon stopped the vigilante from killing him, bringing the vigilante back to his senses when he made his presence known to him. He then unmasked the man, who identified himself as "vengeance". Moments later, the flood waters broke into the venue. Along with those on the rafters, Gordon watched as Batman cut a lose wire threating those below and help rescue citizens trapped under the collapsed stage.
In the aftermath of the flood, Gordon and the GCPD helped emergency services deal with the repercussions of the flood. He was also among the officials to gather at Reál's victory speech.
Behind the Scenes[]
During The Batman's initial development, J. K. Simmons was set to return as his version of Gordon, even expressing interest in reprising. These included the Ben Affleck script (then planned as a followup to Justice League) and as a prequel to the "DC Extended Universe". However, it was eventually decided to recast the role to disassociate the film with the DCEU continuity and its Batman.
Jeffrey Wright was one of the first actors to be cast, with him being reported to be in talks during September 2019. Unlike previous iterations of Gordon, it was decided to make him more proactive in the story, with inspiration coming from Batman: Year One.[1]
In the film's shooting script, a scene depicting Batman contacting Gordon at the GCPD. During it, he covers the call from the vigilante as being from his daughter, Barbara. It's unclear whether the scene was filmed.
Gordon was planned to be featured in an untitled series focusing on the Gotham Police Department. According to IGN, the series would have focused on him during Batman's first year.[2] However, other reports indicate that the series' protagonist was going to be a corrupt officer. The series was eventually cancelled during the leadup to The Batman's release, though a report later indicated development may have restarted.[3]
Trivia[]
- This version of Gordon is the first to be portrayed by actor of color, with previous depictions often being Caucasian.