Gotham’s version of the Joker may have lacked franchise authenticity, but Cameron Monaghan’s interpretation of the character still grew to become the best villain in the entire series. With only a handful of episodes left, Fox’s Batman prequel series is coming to an end after 5 rollercoaster seasons of last-minute rescues, unexpected love triangles, and a butler going well beyond his job description. Throughout its time on screen, Gotham has attracted both praise and criticism, and while some of its live-action incarnations of classic characters have been received positively, others have failed to find favor with the show’s audience.
Undoubtedly, the most hotly debated characters on Gotham have been Jerome and Jeremiah Valeska, both played by Cameron Monaghan. Jerome first debuted in Gotham season 1 as a murderous young circus troupe member and the character’s cheerful menace immediately drew comparisons to the Joker. With each appearance, Monaghan inched closer to looking and acting like Batman’s most infamous nemesis and Gotham’s producers promised that the identity of their Joker would be one of the show’s core ongoing mysteries.
Even now, with Jerome’s villainy transferred to twin brother Jeremiah, that mystery hasn’t been completely solved. Gotham’s most recent offering, the ominously-titled “Ace Chemicals,” went so far as to recreate Joker’s The Killing Joke comic book origin story and still, the villain was denied the Joker title. But despite that lack of an official label, here’s why Jerome/Jeremiah remains Gotham’s best baddie.
- This Page: Gotham Made the Best Out of What it Had Page 2: What Is Cameron Monaghan’s Joker Legacy?
Gotham Made The Best Out Of What It Had
As Gotham’s omission of the Joker name continued into later seasons, the feeling of mystery around the character turned into one of confusion. Why would a series fighting for network renewal not make full use of its most bankable villain? Cameron Monaghan clarified the situation via his official Twitter account last year, stating that “a decision from high up” had banned the show both from using the Joker moniker and from giving Jerome or Jeremiah a trademark green hairstyle.
For Gotham, a show that thrives on introducing early versions of classic Batman villains, being unable to properly use the Joker character was a sizeable blow, in line with telling Smallville that their bald, wealthy criminal mastermind can’t be called Lex Luther or that Star Trek: Discovery’s angry, wrinkle-headed warriors will henceforth be known as “the Klangons.” Such a policy meant that no matter how rapturously Gotham’s version of the Joker was received, the villain would always be somewhat held back by a lack of authenticity. Like a Gucci handbag that only cost $20 from a local market, something would always feel a little off.
Admirably, Monaghan reasoned that the ban allowed for “creativity” on the show’s part and it’s certainly hard to disagree with that assessment. The success of each past incarnation of the Joker has largely come down to casting and from his very first appearance, Monaghan’s Valeska was compellingly evil - a captivating addition to the show, with or without a connection to Batman canon. Whether by necessity or design, Gotham smartly took advantage of the confusion surrounding their potential Joker by leaning into the inherent anonymity of the character and turning the situation into Gotham’s hottest point of discussion.
After over three seasons without an answer to its Joker mystery, Gotham massively swerved fans with the switch from Jerome to Jeremiah, allowing the show to freshen up the character and keep fans guessing as to how these two insane brothers were linked to the most infamous comic book villain of all time. Even without the Joker name, Gotham was ensuring Monaghan’s character remained the show’s main source of fascination.
Impressively, Gotham found a way to hand Jeremiah the same Joker origin tale seen in seminal graphic novel, The Killing Joke, left braindead and disfigured but technically still alive after a fight with Bruce Wayne. Jeremiah even manages to tell Bruce that he’s “just a joke without a punchline” before falling into the transformative vat of toxic goop. Without breaching their gagging order, this is likely as far as Gotham could possibly go.
The question remains, would Gotham have been better off if it were allowed to go “full-on” with the Joker? Almost certainly. While permission from upon high perhaps wouldn’t have dramatically altered Jerome/Jeremiah’s story arc, it absolutely would’ve added an extra layer of canon credibility to both the character and the series as a whole. From a purely cynical point of view, full use of the Joker name would’ve also attracted a raft of casual viewers thanks to Mr. J’s big bucks box office appeal. Considering the restraints placed upon it, however, it’s difficult to see how Gotham could’ve improved upon their version of the Joker.
Page 2: What Is Cameron Monaghan’s Joker Legacy?
Gotham’s Joker Was Still The Show’s Best Villain
Gotham may have been unable to make use of the Joker name, but their version of the character still proved to be the most effective, most menacing and most watchable antagonist in the entire series.
Despite being a prequel, Gotham squeezed almost every major member of Batman’s Rogues Gallery into its narrative, but not all of these figures neatly fit the mold of an outright villain. Cory Michael Smith’s Riddler and Robin Lord Taylor’s Penguin were both main characters in Gotham, fully-fleshed out with areas of light and shade, tragedy and comedy. For every one of Riddler’s murderous schemes, there’s an “Ed Nygma being a geek” scene. For every time Penguin hatches a criminal masterplan, there’s another occasion where he rides heroically to Jim Gordon’s rescue. This doesn’t necessarily make the duo weak characters, in fact both men have been acclaimed in their respective roles, but it does hinder their status as genuine villainous threats.
Camren Bicondova’s portrayal of Selina Kyle was essentially a feline antihero, more Anne Hathaway than Michelle Pfeiffer, and Poison Ivy never stayed in one body long enough to become a leading figure. Fish Mooney and Barbara Kean were too far away from canon to merit enough credibility, and the likes of Ra’s al Ghul, Scarecrow and Mad Hatter were woefully underused.
Jerome and Jeremiah Valeska couldn’t be more different in comparison. The brothers’ trajectory has only increased in villainy over time - a natural progression from baby-faced serial killer in the making to a young man responsible for bringing Gotham City to its knees overnight. In contrast to the back-and-forth arcs of Riddler and Penguin, the Valeskas’ straight-forward character development makes it far easier to view them as properly frightening opponents.
For a TV comic book villain, the twins also boast a fairly high success rate when it comes to executing their dastardly schemes. Can Mad Hatter and Scarecrow be prime antagonists when their plans are undone by Jim Gordon in the space of a few episodes? And can Penguin be considered a sadistic underworld kingpin after his plots are foiled for the umpteenth time? The Valeska brothers have fared far better in this regard. Jerome succeeded in releasing his laughing gas all over Gotham City, Jeremiah triggered the entire “No Man’s Land” scenario and both brothers have exuded a cult-like influence over their followers that the city’s other villains could only dream of.
Due to both Cameron Monaghan’s performance and Gotham’s presentation of his character, the show’s Joker has felt dangerous, chaotic and shocking in every appearance. Viewers won’t find him eyeing a love interest, playing second fiddle to a bigger bad or fawning over a pet bulldog.
What Is Cameron Monaghan’s Joker Legacy?
Many Gotham fans would argue that Cameron Monaghan’s Joker wasn’t just the show’s best villain, but also deserves to be considered alongside all the other great live-action versions of the character. Like any iconic comic book entity, fans can be passionate about which actors get to play their favorite creation, as demonstrated by the reaction to Jared Leto’s casting in Suicide Squad. The fact that Monaghan was enthusiastically touted as a potential Joker from his first appearance speaks volumes about his affinity for the part - something that was noticed by none other than Mark Hamill, who has famously provided the villain’s voice in several animated projects over the years.
Admittedly, Monaghan has not had the cultural impact of Heath Ledger or Jack Nicholson, but he was placed in the unique position of being able to display two distinct sides of the Joker character. Where Jerome was raw, unbridled in his hunger for chaos and a charismatic savage, Jeremiah leaned more towards the conniving, intelligent and calculating persona seen periodically in the Joker’s history. Monaghan’s ability to successfully carry off both characters with aplomb should earn him a respectable place in the pantheon of Joker actors.
Sadly, this is where Gotham’s restrictions in using the Joker can be felt once again. Despite embodying the character in all but name, Monaghan’s Gotham credit will always read “Jerome/Jeremiah Valeska,” giving the actor what some would feel is an unfair representation of his overall contribution to the Batman franchise.
Thankfully, Cameron Monaghan’s legacy as the Joker runs deeper than his IMDB listing. After Heath Ledger’s seminal performance in The Dark Knight, being cast as the Joker suddenly became an even trickier prospect for actors - play the character too close to Ledger and risk unrealistic comparisons, move too far away and end up with grills and facial tattoos. Perhaps more than anything else, Monaghan’s performance in Gotham proved that it was possible to deliver a modern version of the Joker that was menacing without being R-rated, that was inspired by the actors who came before, but without mirroring any of them too closely and that was faithful to the source material while still adding new creative elements.
Next: 25 Things Only True Batman Fans Know About Gotham
Gotham continues with “Nothing’s Shocking” February 28th on Fox.
