This season of Fox’sGothamhas been dubbed “Rise of the Villains,” and the show certainly has showcased its fair share of iconic enemies from theDC Comics. We know that in the show’smidseason premiere, aptly-titledMr. Freeze, fans will get to see more ofNathan Darrowas the iconic villain, who was briefly teased in the midseason finale, along with our first look atHugo Strange, played byB.D. Wong. Series creatorBruno Hellerhas teased in the past that another upcoming villain is Azrael, and while we still don’t know when he’ll make his debut yet, Instagram usersComicsFieldand BestOfGotham have given us our first look at this villain, both masked and unmasked. There will be some SPOILERS below, so read on at your own risk.
The photos taken from the New York set show Azrael both masked and unmasked, and it’s quite clear that the costume department went to great lengths to ensure this super villain suit was an accurate depiction of the suit in the comics. However, the second photo featuring this villain without his mask on reveals quite the surprise, showing thatJames Frainwill be portraying Azrael. In the midseason finale,Worse Than a Crime,James Frain’s Theo Gallivan was killed by Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie), but now it seems he’ll return as Azrael.
Executive producer John Stevens revealed in October that the show will continue its Order of St. Dumas story, which will continue to evolve throughoutGotham Season 2. Theo Galivan and his sister Tabitha (Jessica Lucas) are part of this Order. In theDC Comics, Azrael’s powers include enhanced strength, speed, agility, reflexes, durability and stamina. The show is taking a bit of a departure from the comics, since characters such as Jean-Paul Valley and Michael Lane took up the Azrael mantle, but this character is connected to the Order of St. Dumas in the comics.
Other new casting additions this season includePaul Reubensas Penguin’s (Robin Taylor) father, but it isn’t known when he will debut. We also reported last month thatJada Pinkett Smithwill return asFish Mooneyin a multi-episode arc, but her exact return date has not been confirmed. The actress revealed shortly before the first season came to a close that she only signed on for one season, but series creatorBruno Helleralso teased in the past that the door was open for her to come back at some point.
When the show returns, Penguin takes a hit for Theo Galavan’s murder, but doesn’t let Gordon (Ben McKenzie) off easily. Meanwhile, Gordon and Bullock (Donal Logue) investigate the body-snatching spree of Victor Fries (guest starNathan Darrow), one of Gotham’s preeminent cryogenics engineers, in the midseason premiere on February 29. Take a look at these new photos, and let us know what you think about this new development onGotham.
