Thanks to the rise of the villains in season 2 of Fox's Gotham, season three will probably look even more crazy and chaotic.
The cast and executive producers of Gotham came together for a panel at San Diego Comic-Con and talked about what fans can expect in the show's new season. That included talking about the legacy left behind by Jerome, who the series set up as the Joker without actually calling him that.
Season two left fans wondering, though: was Jerome really the Joker or just a red herring? The character died, suggesting that he was just a precursor to the Joker with whom Batman fans are familiar.
In Gotham City, though, nothing is a sure thing: not even death. Fans learned that lesson quickly once Dr. Hugo Strange started bringing villains back to life at Arkham Asylum, including the once-dead Fish Mooney. He also had Jerome's body kept in a tank there.
"I know Jerome died at the end of his run last year, but as we've seen in Gotham, death is not really a barrier," executive producer John Stephens said, as reported by Comic Book Resources. "In Gotham, you can't keep a bad man down."
That almost makes it seem like fans haven't seen the last of Jerome, but it could mean that his legacy lives on: as an inspiration for a city full of Jokers, including the one who eventually becomes Batman's most famous nemesis. That's something Gotham will show during its third season: the rise of the idea of the Joker.
"It's almost the cult of the Joker — the idea of anarchy and chaos," actor Sean Pertwee — who portrays Alfred — said. "On the sets, you'll start to see graffiti, you'll start to see the 'Ha, ha, ha' everywhere. It's the idea of the Joker that has spread through Gotham."
So, the Joker will appear in season three, but perhaps not in the way fans expect. Considering that Bruce Wayne is still young and years away from becoming Batman, it wouldn't make sense for Gotham to introduce this iconic villain so early (although the show often takes liberties with the original comic book material).
Season three will also unveil the mystery behind the boy who looks exactly like Bruce Wayne. That character appeared briefly in the season two finale.
Gotham returns to Fox on Sept. 19.
