Why Jeffrey Wright's Jim Gordon Didn't Return For The Penguin

Gotham City Police Department (GCPD) officer James "Jim" Gordon has always been Batman's connection to legal, sanctioned law enforcement throughout the franchise's history, and in Matt Reeves's 2022 film "The Batman," Jeffrey Wright's portrayal of a younger Lieutenant Jim Gordon reminds us all why he's the MVP. Wright's Gordon isn't just a cop that's helping the Caped Crusader (Robert Pattinson) from inside the police department, but he's also basically Batman's best friend, too. The relationship between Gordon and Bats is, simply put, one of the best parts of "The Batman."

The HBO series "The Penguin" is a spin-off of "The Batman" that serves as a bridge between the events of "The Batman" and "The Batman Part II," with Colin Farrell starring as the titular Penguin, also known as Oswald Cobb, a violent but surprisingly charming crime lord on the rise following the death of his boss, Carmine Falcone. While Batman himself doesn't appear in the series, there are some cameos from other "The Batman" movie characters, including GCPD Chief Mackenzie Bock (the gravelly-voiced Con O'Neill of "Our Flag Means Death" fame). Unfortunately, there's no sign of Jim Gordon, and according to Wright, there were never any plans to have him appear.

In an interview with Inverse, Wright revealed that while there was "no talk of my being in this first season," he is potentially open to appearing in season 2 if that happens at some point. "Who knows? We'll see what happens down the line, but I'm juggling enough balls as it is," he added.

Wright's not lying — since "The Batman," he's starred in movies like Wes Anderson's "Asteroid City" and Cord Jefferson's "American Fiction," and he has a role on the Showtime spy series "The Agency," which stars Michael Fassbender as a spy who must leave his double life. It's also still entirely up in the air whether or not there will be a second season of "The Penguin," since Farrell really hated wearing the prosthetic makeup for hours on end and had some strict conditions for his possible return.

There are definitely plans for more of "The Batman," however, with "The Batman Part II" scheduled to hit theaters on October 2, 2026. Wright was somewhat vague about what's in store for Gordon, in large part because he's still out of the loop. As he told Inverse:

"I'm excited about getting back there, but you probably know as much as I know. I haven't read anything. I haven't talked to Matt for a while. He's been off doing his thing, I've been off doing mine. But I look forward to getting back there. [...] There's a lot to explore... I think the vision that [Reeves] has of Gotham is a really wonderful one, really rich and kind of grimy in the best way."

It will be exciting to see what Reeves has in store for all of us when "The Batman Part II" eventually hits theaters in late 2026. In the meantime, though, Wright's fans can look forward to seeing him reprise his role from the video game of the same name when he joins the cast of "The Last of Us" for its second season, coming in 2025.