Recasting Batman’s Commissioner Gordon For James Gunn’s DC Universe

There are many talented actors who could tackle the role of the DCU‘s Commissioner James Gordon. With the beginning of the DCU under DC Studios, the new franchise will introduce its own version of the Dark Knight with Andy Muschietti’s Batman: The Brave and the Bold. The new Batman film will also include many members of the Bat Family and Batman’s supporting cast, which will surely include Gotham City’s Police Commissioner James Gordon.

Commissioner Gordon has been seen alongside virtually every cinematic version of Batman, with Neil Hamilton, Pat Hingle, Gary Oldman, J.K. Simmons, and Jeffrey Wright playing Gordon in various cinematic iterations of Batman. With DC’s multiverse including different versions of Batman, the DCU will surely want to cast its Commissioner Gordon with great care. Here are 10 great candidates to portray Commissioner Gordon in the DCU.

10 Bryan Cranston Can Bring Gravitas To Gordon

Know For Breaking Bad, Malcolm In The Middle, And Your Honor

Bryan Cranston is frequently the subject of comic book movie fan casting, which makes it likely that his name will be in the minds of many fans for the DCU, and Commissioner Gordon could be the perfect role for him. Aside from Cranston fitting the image of Gordon in terms of age and appearance, his versatility as an actor and, in particular, his long-running role on Breaking Bad point to him as a strong candidate. Through Breaking Bad, Cranston’s gravitas in a crime-oriented storytelling suggests he could bring a strong presence to Commissioner James Gordon.

9 Ethan Hawke Excells In Darker Roles

Known For Moon Knight, Gattaca, And Training Day

Ethan Hawke is another potentially strong contender for the DCU’s Commissioner Gordon, Hawke having excelled in the kinds of darker movies that the tone of a Batman film calls for. Hawke’s portrayal of Detective Jake Hoyt in Training Day Sergeant Jake Roenick in the 2009 remake of Assault on Precinct 13 sees him display a strong command of a cop-oriented role, while Hawke also shows an impressive range of vulnerability and darkness in movies like Sinister, The Purge, and The Black Phone. Hawke bringing such character traits to the DCU’s Commissioner Gordon could make the new version of Batman’s ally really stand out.

8 Harrison Ford Can Bring Some Gruffness To Gordon

Know For Star Wars, Indiana Jones, And Air Force One

Harrison Ford is already making the jump to a comic book movie role with his portrayal of General (or rather President) Thunderbolt Ross in Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World, but he would also doubtlessly make an amazing Commissioner Gordon. Ford’s on-screen image is famously that of a gruff, no-nonsense tough guy, which has been most vividly presented in his performances as President James Marshall in Air Force One, Han Solo in the Star Wars franchise, and of course, his iconic role as Indiana Jones. A Commissioner Gordon with the sheer tough-as-nails persona of Harrison Ford could be one of the most memorable iterations of the character ever.

7 Keith David Has Experience In Superhero Projects

Known For The Thing, Gargoyles, And They Live

Matt Reeves’s The Batman has already set the precedent for a black Commissioner Gordon with Jeffrey Wright, but there’s no reason for him to be the only one in DC’s multiverse, and Keith David could be a great Commissioner Gordon for the DCU. David has already tackled dark superhero stories before in voicing Al Simmons on the HBO series Todd McFarlane’s Spawn, while he has brought an innate likability throughout his career in everything from They Live to Jordan Peele’s Nope. David could embody much the same persona as the DCU’s Gordon, bringing a touch of his usual sly levity to Batman: The Brave and the Bold‘s story.

6 Lance Henriksen Is Genre Movie Specialist

Known For The Terminator And Aliens

Sci-fi fans know Lance Heriksen well for his roles in James Cameron’s The Terminator and as the android Bishop in Cameron’s Aliens, and these roles specifically could highlight how well-suited Henriksen would be to portray Commissioner Gordon. In The Terminator, Henriksen’s somewhat secondary role as Vukovich is the kind of seasoned law-enforcement veteran that Jim Gordon inherently is. Meanwhile, Henriksen’s portrayal of Bishop in Aliens is a more friendly, genial man (albeit a synthetic one) who simply wants to provide a helping hand. A kind of synthesis of Vukovich and Bishop on Henriksen’s part could make for an engaging new version of Commissioner Gordon in the DCU.

5 Brendan Fraser Has Proven His Range

Known For The Mummy, The Whale, And Doom Patrol

After receding from the Hollywood spotlight for several years, Brendan Fraser has made a remarkable comeback story, with his performance in Darren Aronovsky’s The Whale, in particular, earning him widespread acclaim and an Academy Award. Brendan Fraser already entered the DC fold as Firefly in Batgirl, but the cancellation of Batgirl‘s release means his performance will likely never be seen. Fraser’s talent still makes him a no brainer to join a DC movie, and Fraser’s understated, low-key persona could lend itself well to portraying Commissioner Gordon in the DCU.

4 Kevin Bacon Can Deliver Calm Intensity

Known For Tremors, Footloose, And X-Men: First Class

Kevin Bacon has tackled a wide range of different characters in his career, with Bacon frequently being associated with, and perhaps somewhat typecast as, a foul-mouthed every-man in movies like Tremors and Stir of Echoes. However, Bacon’s range has also seen him take on both darker and lighter roles in movies like Apollo 13, Hollow Man, and Death Sentence. Bacon is no stranger to comic book movie roles either, having previously played Sebastian Shaw in X-Men: First Class, and even a fictionalized version of himself in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, so Kevin Bacon might already be two degrees of six removed from a DC movie role like Commissioner Gordon.

3 Dennis Quaid Can Play A Grittier Gordon

Known For The Rookie, The Parent Trap, And The Right Stuff

The role of Commissioner Gordon calls for a certain amount of grit as a Gotham City cop who has seen the worst the city has to offer, and that is a trait Dennis Quaid could well embody. Quaid’s signature grin and rough grit have served him well in movies like Dragonheart, Frequency, and The Day After Tomorrow. Quaid’s performance as Doc Holliday in Wyatt Earp also shows the same shades of a man who has many harrowing stories to tell seen throughout the rest of his filmography, and that could enable his potential Commissioner Gordon to really jump off the screen in the DCU.

2 Jeff Daniels Has Dramatic And Comic Chops In Equal Measure

Known For Dumb And Dumber, The Newsroom, And Speed

Jeff Daniels portrays everyman characters with an almost unrivaled ease, but his range as an actor is also just as remarkable. Indeed, despite being so widely recognized as a character actor, an entire generation arguably knows Daniels best as Harry Dunn in the wacky comedy Dumb and Dumber. Daniels has also gained equal praise for his roles in horror movies and action films like Arachnophobia and Speed, while he brings a commanding presence to his portrayal of Will McAvoy on the HBO series The Newsroom. With Daniels so easily able to fit into roles from a wide range of genres, him as Commissioner Gordon could be another enticing DCU fancast.

1 William H. Macy Has The Perfect Gordon Look

Known For Shameless, Fargo, And Jurassic Park III

Fancastings frequently prioritize an actor’s resemblance to a given character, and while that shouldn’t be the primary criteria, it nevertheless cannot be ignored how perfectly William H. Macy would fit the public’s collective image of Commissioner Jim Gordon. Beyond that, MacyMacy has shown incredible talent as the troubled Frank Gallagher in Shameless and Jerry Lundegaard in Fargo. Both of those factors combined point to William H. Macy as another strong choice for the DCU‘s Commissioner Gordon.