This is not a joke, people: Cameron Monaghan, star of Showtime's Shameless , posted a picture of himself dressed as the Joker, only fueling the prevailing theory that he will finally become the Clown Prince of Crime in season 2 of Gotham.
Monaghan previously appeared on Gotham as Jerome Valeska, a disturbed young man who bears quite a similarity to Batman's fabled foe, including a familiar crazed cackle.
It has been previously hinted that Monaghan's Gotham character might indeed be the infamous Joker: in the promo for "The Blind Fortune Teller," the first (and up until now, only) Gotham episode in which he appeared, the tagline "You've met Fish Mooney, the Riddler, Catwoman, and the Penguin...Gotham's next villain is no joke." Subtle, amirite?
As a show, Gotham operates as a prequel to the general Batman narrative; its major source of popularity is its ability to unpack the myth that enshroulds each of its characters. It was only a matter of time until the Joker appeared on the (crime) scene. But the Joker isn't like the other Batman characters in the DC Universe, so will Gotham's attempt to flesh out the story of his beginning actually draw fans in, or alienate them?
A definitive origin story for the Joker has never been canonized in the DC Universe, possibly an intentional move to imply that his motivations stem from an Iago-like, malevolent omniscience. While Monaghan most likely do a fine job if the role is his -- as evidenced by his prior Gotham performance -- giving the Joker an origin story could easily be a hit or a miss, considering the canonical works as of late have hinted that the Joker might not even be human at all, but elemental in nature.
As of now, FOX has not confirmed Monaghan's casting.
Watch Monaghan maniacally laugh in the teaser for his previous Gotham appearance as Jerome below.
Be sure to follow T-Lounge on Twitter and visit our Facebook page.
