Though we’ve heard Gotham’s Jerome (Cameron Monaghan) isn’t the show’s true Joker, Mark Hamill disagrees. When Gotham first emerged, it quickly proved it would move beyond merely exploring Detective James Gordon and the corrupt GCPD. Soon enough, all manner of Batman villains were introduced in new ways even as young Bruce Wayne trained to protect his city. But through the appearances of The Riddler, Penguin, and more, fans have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the series’ version of The Joker.
When Cameron Monaghan first appeared as the deranged Jerome on Gotham, it seemed that all the Easter eggs had finally led to The Joker’s debut on the show. But since then, we’ve heard the minds behind the series continue to shoot down the idea. Recently, star David Mazouz promised The Joker is coming to Gotham, in the process further confirming Jerome wasn’t the real version of the character. Despite all that, many fans have embraced Jerome as one of the best iterations of The Joker and praised Monaghan’s performance - and they’re not alone.
Mark Hamill took to Twitter to retweet Monaghan’s announcement of Gotham’s return on March 1. He also took the time to praise the actor and his performance, clearly indicating he views Jerome as The Joker.
Aside from Monaghan receiving praise from one of geek culture’s most revered figures, the respect from Hamill also carries extra weight given the actor has long voiced The Joker in various animated outings. Most prominently, he served as The Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, with both he and Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy considered by many fans to be definitive versions of their respective characters. All told, a co-sign from Hamill on the role of The Joker is a big deal.
Following Monaghan will be a tough act, but Gotham is no stranger to bringing in new faces for familiar characters. Gotham recast Scarecrow recently, and the show is about to debut its third actor in the role of Poison Ivy. While Jerome doesn’t appear to be leaving the show for good, it’s hard not to feel that whoever the ‘real’ Joker is will be replacing him in some way.
Regardless of what the future holds for Jerome and Monaghan, both the character and actor will soon return. The midseason premiere trailer for Gotham follows up on Jerome’s reemergence last year and promises a bloody team-up with Penguin. We’ll also meet the new Ivy, who looks to hold part of the key to Bruce’s destiny. There’s no telling when The Joker will arrive on Gotham, but at least Jerome will be back soon.
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Gotham returns March 1 on FOX.
Source: Mark Hamill
