Gotham‘s pseudo-Clown Prince of Crime Jerome/Jeremiah Valeska has taken major strides towards embracing The Joker since his Season 1 debut. However, while rogues such as Penguin and The Riddler have already been called out by name on the show, actor Cameron Monaghan explained why his character hasn’t — and likely never will — be referred to as The Joker on-screen.
On Twitter, Monaghan posted a series of photos in which his hair was dyed several different colors to try to perfect his character’s look. “Pure green was off-limits to us (as well as the name “Joker”), a decision from high-up as they wanted to reserve these for films,” Monaghan revealed. “A decision which ultimately I respect. They did not want to dilute the very lucrative brand. It allowed for creativity on our end.”
Various hair tests. Pure green was off-limits to us (as well as the name “Joker”), a decision from high-up as they wanted to reserve these for films. A decision which ultimately I respect. They did not want to dilute the very lucrative brand. It allowed for creativity on our end. pic.twitter.com/pSlacSUTjU
— Cameron Monaghan (@cameronmonaghan) May 12, 2018
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Batman and elements from the character’s lore have had longstanding difficulty when it comes to being adapted for the television. Many fans wished to see the Caped Crusader appear in the popular CW series Smallville, but Warner Bros. opted to keep Bruce Wayne relegated to the big screen in light of the then-restarted film franchise under director Christopher Nolan.
Currently, the DC Extended Universe’s incarnation of The Joker is played by Jared Leto, who first appeared as the Clown Prince of Crime in 2016’s Suicide Squad. However, last August, it was revealed that a Joker origin film was in the works, with Martin Scorsese slated to produce and Joaquin Phoenix to star as the eponymous villain.
Airing Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Fox, Gotham stars Ben McKenzie as James Gordon, Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock, David Mazouz as Bruce Wayne, Robin Lord Taylor as Penguin, Cameron Bicondova as Selina Kyle, Erin Richards as Barbara Kean and Sean Pertwee as Alfred Pennyworth.
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