Ruling over a corrupt police department in Gotham city would probably take the same amount of leadership skills as commanding a well-oiled jazz band, so J.K. Simmons should do pretty well in the role he’s just won, as Commissioner James Gordon in the upcoming Justice League films and, presumably, in all of the filmic DC Universe.
The typically gruff Simmons, who spent a long time on Law & Order and a pretty long time as J. Jonah Jameson in the Marvel Universe — mostly in Spider-Man, but also in some less significant properties — could offer a different take on Gordon, who is usually seen as the soft-spoken, by-the-books counterpoint to Batman’s vigilante. Gary Oldman was the last actor to portray Gordon on film, in each part of Christopher Nolan’s trilogy.
The first Justice League film (Part 1) will see the return of Henry Cavill as Superman, Ben Affleck as Batman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Ezra Miller as the Flash, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, and Ray Fisher as Cyborg. Zack Snyder has been confirmed to direct. It’s going to be a big, old, dimly lit party, in other words. Filming begins April 11.
Perhaps Simmons just has a real big love for comic books, because last year he was talking in the press about being open to reprising his role as Jameson in the upcoming third telling of the Spider-Man mythos.