Maybe Twenty-First Century Fox (FOXA) isn't all that interested in the Batman universe comics and film fans have come to love, Fool contributor Tim Beyers says in the following video.
Deadline reports that actor Drew Powell has been cast to play the gangster Butch Gilzean in Gotham, Fox's TV adaptation that centers on Jim Gordon in the years before he becomes commissioner and Bruce Wayne before he becomes Batman.
In January, Fox Entertainment Chief Kevin Reilly said the studio had purchased full rights to the Batman mythos for Gotham. And yet, so far, his team seems intent on creating their own characters. Neither Powell's Gilzean nor the mobster he reports to, Jada Pinkett-Smith's Fish Mooney, exist in the Batman universe established by Time Warner's (TWX) DC Comics. Rather, signs are that Gotham will be a universe unto its own, distinct not only from the comics but also Warner's 2016 film, Batman vs. Superman.
Whether fans will appreciate the variety or rebel at the lack of continuity is unknowable at this point, Tim says. Yet it may be worth noting that Marvel avoids this sort of mess via a collaborative team composed of executives from its comics, TV, and film divisions. They're tasked with ensuring no single storyline in one medium can spoil plans in another. Fox and Warner are under no such obligation to keep each other informed. Fans and investors may end up wishing that weren't the case.
Now it's your turn to weigh in. What do you expect from Gotham? Is Fox wise to build its own universe, or is the risk of alienating fans too great? Please watch the video to get his full take and then leave a comment to let us know where you stand.
