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'Gotham' casts The Penguin, Alfred, and more

By

Chris Begley

·

on 'Gotham' casts The Penguin, Alfred, and more

Just days after the announcement that Ben McKenzie will play Gordon, The Hollywood Reporter has news on more of the cast of FOX's upcoming TV show Gotham.

Robin Lord Taylor will play Oswald Cobblepot... aka The Penguin. THR says that he has the brains of a chess grandmaster and the morals of a jackal who is a low-level psychopath for gangster Fish Mooney who hides his sadistic lust for power behind an exquisitely polite demeanor.

Sean Pertwee will play Alfred Pennyworth. THR says that in Gotham, the character is a tough-as-nails ex-Marine from East London, who has loyally served the Wayne family. Now, in the wake of their tragic deaths, he is fiercely protective of the young Bruce Wayne.

Zabryna Guevara will play Captain Essen, rookie Gordon's boss at the Gotham City Police Department Homicide Squad, who balances the two worlds of police and politics with a Machiavellian skill that is as much corporate litigator as cop.

Erin Richards will play Barbara Kean, a sophisticated ER doctor, who is engaged to marry Gordon. She's joyful but with an edge of vulnerability who stands by her future husband... which can be difficult in a world as corrupt as Gotham.

Are you familiar with any of these actors work? Looking forward to Gotham this fall? Let me know in the comments below!

SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter

This is an archive of Batman-News.com from 2010 to 2025. For the latest news, check out BatmanNews.com

64 comments

  1. lucasyukito Avatar
    lucasyukito

    =/

  2. thefallen83 Avatar
    thefallen83

    I like the Alfred character's description hehe... Sounds violent... :)

    1. fly greyson Avatar
      fly greyson

      Sounds like "beware the Batman's" Alfred

      1. zurvivalist Avatar
        zurvivalist

        Which sounds like batman: earth one's alfred

  3. OwlLasers Avatar
    OwlLasers

    I feel like at least one of the Gordons should have red hair, but maybe I'm being too bitchy about this.

  4. yonnino Avatar
    yonnino

    Hmmm...

  5. Kyle Fowler Avatar
    Kyle Fowler

    Sean Pertwee as Alfred is awesome casting

  6. Kalel Avatar
    Kalel

    I'm excited for this "tv program" as the old folks say

  7. BatmanNewsChris Avatar
    BatmanNewsChris

    All I have to say is... good for you, Gordon ;)

  8. Sergio Avatar
    Sergio

    still waiting for flass casting... i mean, if it was a batman show they surely cast an actor for the joker, but being gordon's show they have to cast someone for flass, right? and no, i'm not comparing flass to the joker, but flass would fit perfectly; gordon needs a direct antagonist, someone who just keeps giving him a hard time trying to corrupt him or putting him out of the way since he's always been a liability to all dirty authorities in gotham.

    1. samuel Avatar
      samuel

      Agreed, thought Flass would be his actual partner instead of Bullock (who could be corrupt and works for Flass oh like in Person of Interest with Fusco and Simmons)

      1. Sergio Avatar
        Sergio

        i can see bullock as the partner in conflict, being friends with jim but also having a past that jim isn't aware of and in a way ties him to flass and his group of corrupt cops.

    2. Cygog Avatar
      Cygog

      What... you don't like Falafel?

  9. Kondorr Avatar
    Kondorr

    I am not sure Essen as Gordon's boss is a good idea... this sounds like setup for a soap opera cliche...

    1. diogo02000 Avatar
      diogo02000

      If this Sarah essen in fact. Maybe they do like Arrow, with several characters could be, not not, that one for the comics or inspired of.

      1. Andres Avatar
        Andres

        Yeah, they could go in that direction like Arrow. Sarah Lance became Black Canary not Dinah Laurel Lance, for example. Maybe Sarah Essen could be Captain Essen's younger sister, I dunno.

        1. B.P. Avatar
          B.P.

          Laurel could still become Black Canary at some point.

          1. JJ Avatar
            JJ

            Please no. She's not a like able character I've always hated her and a lot of people I talk to about the show find her annoying. All she does is whine.

          2. Andres Avatar
            Andres

            She cries about EVERYTHING. I'm not even kidding. That's all she does.

          3. ej123 Avatar
            ej123

            I really like Katie Cassidy, but Laurel needs to go in my opinion. Her character has added nothing to this new season and it is always the same thing over and over again with her now.

  10. diogo02000 Avatar
    diogo02000

    Sean Pertwee is already awesome, he doing Earth One's Alfred will be a blast! And i see some influence on Emperor Penguin there... and Robin Lord look A LOT like a younger Oswald. Im really, REALLY excited for that series!

  11. Ranf Avatar
    Ranf

    Much better casting than casting Batfleck vs. Murderman.

    1. rb24 Avatar
      rb24

      gtfo!

    2. Knight-Errant Avatar
      Knight-Errant

      How so? Is Affleck being judge on a comic book movie outing a decade ago? Watch Hollywoodland. Acting-wise, watch The Town, Argo, & Runner, Runner. He's grown as an actor.

      I think labeling MoS' Superman as 'Murderman' is a bit harsh. Are you referencing the ending with Zod? If so, you have to look at the scene on what it is and not what it looks like.

      First, it would be 'Manslaughterman' more then 'Murderman.' There's a difference.

      Second, the scene is essentially a Suicide by Cop scenario. Some people WANT to be killed by law enforcement. They do whatever they have to to get that end. Zod WANTED to be killed. His purpose was no more & he was going to whatever it took for Kent to kill him.

      Calling Superman a murder is like calling a law enforcement officer who's in a Suicide by Cop scenario a murderer. I get to work with all forms of law enforcement agencies through work. I would never label any of them as 'murderer' even if he/she has to shoot & kill a suspect.

  12. The Riddler Avatar
    The Riddler

    Doesn't Erin Richards look more like Sarah Essen?

    1. Josh White Avatar
      Josh White

      They HAD to have typed that wrong. lol

  13. Tombeee Avatar
    Tombeee

    Sean pertwee had a famous father!

  14. Khashayar Avatar
    Khashayar

    i like that...they're good actor

  15. Unique Jenique Avatar
    Unique Jenique

    Why can't WB make these types of announcements for Man of Steel 2? Nicely grouped instead of months apart. -____-

    1. Josh White Avatar
      Josh White

      I guess now that we have to wait two years to actually see the movie they have to spread the announcements out. We don't want 7 straight months of no news at all.

  16. TheXpectatoR Avatar
    TheXpectatoR

    Of course, I've always liked Sean Pertwee's work, great choice.

  17. Knightwing19 Avatar
    Knightwing19

    Alfred sounds like the Beware of the Batman/ Earth One version which is cool and I get the Penguin being around but you start adding Joker, Riddler, etc., and it's a little too much.

    I still don't get why they've decided to mess with Batman's origin like this regardless of the casting. I also don't understand how Batman fans can be cool with this when they freak out over Ben Affleck. If anything hurts the comic book tv and movie franchises it will be this show.

    1. lethargicj Avatar
      lethargicj

      Don't be silly. Nothing is going to hurt the Batman franchise. The Batman franchise survived Joel Schumacher.

    2. Guest Avatar
      Guest

      How could this show hurt the comic book movie franchise. They're two different things. And if the show is decent, every Batman fan including yourself will watch. There's no downside.

      1. Knight-Errant Avatar
        Knight-Errant

        I disagree. I'm a huge Batman fan & have zero interest in this show. I won't bash it, but I won't give it support. My favorite Batman story is Year One. It's really a Jim Gordon story, but at least had Batman in the story. This series doesn't.

        I understand tweaking some of the characters for movies & TV (suddenly Cobblepot is a psycho?), but if Bruce is 8 in the series & his key rogues gallery are getting their origins, then that means they've got at least 10-15 years on him. Plus, weren't his rogues primarily born out of Batman appearing?

        My main concern if I was going to watch the series is that it'd be a cookie-cutter show with a comic book wrapping; like Agents of SHIELD. It's what I like to call a Snuggie series: marketed well, looking interesting, but you're ultimately wearing a robe backward.

        1. Antrozous Avatar
          Antrozous

          "Huge Batman fan" and "zero interest in this show" does not go together, sorry.

          1. Knight-Errant Avatar
            Knight-Errant

            But this isn't Batman. Its a loophole around not doing a Batman series. I can't recall ever watching or reading a Batman storyline and thinking "man, I need some more Jim Gordon in this story!"

            Plus, I'd argue qualifications for being a huge fan does not mean you have to like everything. I despise the 60s series. Batman was born out of darkness & I think that's where he should stay. If they made a new live-action series in the flavor of the West/Ward series I would stay far away from it. I don't think that reduces my fandom anymore then someone who prefers the camp version.

            I'm sorry you feel that way.

          2. Antrozous Avatar
            Antrozous

            I stand by my claim, if you consider yourself a huge fan you can ignore this entirely. Sure, you can dislike it after watching it but to go on saying you have no interest doesn´t add up. I could give you some credit if this was about Jim Gordon entirely but it isn´t, it revolves about Gotham City, Batman characters and Bruce Wayne himself not to mention the series will build up for a grown up Bruce to become Batman in the end so tell me, how isn´t this a Batman related tv series?

            I might end up hating it but at least i´m willing to give it a go.

          3. Knight-Errant Avatar
            Knight-Errant

            But this isn't a Batman series anymore then Birds of Prey was. It could stand to be a typical cop show with a comic book wrapper.

            Bruce's training came abroad, not Gotham. How much time will be put on Bruce, especially if this is being promoted as a Gordon series. And if I don't like the premise of the show, why would I waste time to prove/disprove otherwise?

            Batman as a dad, animated Brave & Bold, CGI Beware, or leading a company of Batmen are all premises I'm not a fan of. Just because I think Batman doesn't mean I'll like every story.

            I don't think if this was a Gavin King series about how he rose to power & added Batman I'd dig the premise anymore.

            Gotham could prove to be a kickass series like people who enjoy Arrow & Agents Of SHIELD claim are. It's just not a series I find that interesting as a concept, regardless of who is in it.

          4. Antrozous Avatar
            Antrozous

            Listen, I get it and I respect you point of view, i also do not dig anything they throw at me with a Batman label and I have my own concept of what Batman should be but I think you are presuming too much about the show without even seeing one episode. I´m not too excited about the new cinematic Batman since Justice League is not my cup of tea but I sure am curious to see what they will do with it.

          5. Knight-Errant Avatar
            Knight-Errant

            I mean no disrespect. I'm also not one of those people who bash everything he/she doesn't like. I'm just assessing the puzzle pieces as I see them.

            I don't think I need to see an episode to know I'm not interest in Bruce in Gotham before returning at age 25 & Gordon's struggles to stay honest in a bent city before Bruce's return.

            It's not to say the show won't be good or successful. I'm just not that curious to watch it.

            I didn't need to be talked into watching one episode of Arrow to confirm it was exactly the show I thought it was. And that I didn't need to watch more then one episode. It's not to say its not a good show, just not for me.

  18. The_Joker Avatar
    The_Joker

    Awesome to know, thank you! But I have a question for you Batman-News: Will this be on Fox in The Netherlands? (Europe)

    1. BatmanNewsChris Avatar
      BatmanNewsChris

      I'm not sure. They haven't made any kind of announcements yet... even for here in the US.

      1. The_Joker Avatar
        The_Joker

        Ok thanks for your answerd i hope that if they announe it that it will be on Batman-News, i check this site every day!

  19. lethargicj Avatar
    lethargicj

    Good choice for Alfred.

    The Penguin dude looks the part. I can see how they could slime him up a bit. My first thought was that he looked more like Olgivey.

    The girls? TBD.

    Does this mean Gordon will HAVE A BEER AND CHEET ON HIS WIFE?

    1. Cygog Avatar
      Cygog

      Will the Penguin have a fetish for Umbrellas?

  20. Tyler Giering Avatar
    Tyler Giering

    I really like the casting. Gives me a bit more hope than I originally had. Hope the script and direction is just as good.

  21. ClintJ Avatar
    ClintJ

    Can anyone confirm if the casting for Guevara and Erin Richards has been printed the wrong way round? Has to be, surely.

    1. lethargicj Avatar
      lethargicj

      Why? There is no way I'd buy that blonde girl as Gordon's boss. She's way too young. And I damn sure wouldn't buy the other girl as Barbara's mother.

      1. ClintJ Avatar
        ClintJ

        I think the Essen from the comic books definitely could be Gordon's boss, shes smart, confident and in control. Where as Gordon's wife is naive and vulnerable which Erin Richards certainly doesn't look. But I was referring more to their appearances, Richards just looks so much like Essen. I'm pretty sure the names are the wrong way round.
        How awesome are Alfred's and Penguin's castings though hey!

  22. samuel Avatar
    samuel

    Hmmm has Barbara sr. maiden name ever been mentioned before?
    Not a big deal just curious.

    1. EdwardNygma Avatar
      EdwardNygma

      I'm pretty sure it's Kean. That sounded familiar to me.

  23. Arkham Psyche Avatar
    Arkham Psyche

    Alfred Pennyworth - Son of Worzel Gummidge. Amazing, haha ;)

    1. dario 2739 Avatar
      dario 2739

      Damn... Alfred,, son of the Scarecrow!!!

      1. Arkham Psyche Avatar
        Arkham Psyche

        I loved the 'Whatever Happened To The Cape Crusader' novel. How in one sequence Alfred explains how he himself became The Joker, as a means to keep Bruce occupied. Some great Inception-esque style of writing in the book. You can see Neil Gaimans (Sandman) touch all over it ;)

  24. Joe Chill Avatar
    Joe Chill

    Oswald looked super familiar and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. After a quick google search, he was the guy from Accepted! The weirdo kid! Haha. Also appeared on an episode of The Walking Dead. Anyhow, I stoked for this and hope they pull it off well. Thanks for the update, Batman-News!

  25. SnakeJerusalem Avatar
    SnakeJerusalem

    I feel totally ambivalent about it, but when it starts being broadcasted I'll give it a try.

  26. ED Avatar
    ED

    I want to be excited for this, but the more I hear about it the more it sounds like every other FOX drama. I think the guy they got for Penguin has a good look for the part though.

  27. RPMan Avatar
    RPMan

    Anyone knows when this show airs and on what channel it would be? Can't wait.

    1. lethargicj Avatar
      lethargicj

      This fall on Fox.

  28. boots Avatar
    boots

    kinda hope they keep the sara/barbara thing out of it for the most part ~ dc has made enough of a mess of the gordon family. it would be nice to see gordon's home life not be a total disaster straight out of the gate, if only as a counterpoint to the hell that is his job. with sara retconned out of the new 52 (all but joker's arbitrary memories), it'll be interesting to see how they use her.

    so far the casting is looking good, though i have no idea who some of these people are (and maybe bravo to that).

  29. ac Avatar
    ac

    they shouldnt even have the joker this early in bruce life, maybe have the red hood instead

  30. Cygog Avatar
    Cygog

    I can see him playing a young Penguin... I'm just wondering how he is going to approach it?

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