Written by Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola, Gotham by Gaslight is considered to be the first DC Elseworlds story, which was lauded following its alternate take on the Batman mythos. Set in the Victorian era, the story follows Batman’s quest to apprehend Jack the Ripper, based on the infamous real-life serial killer, and the story was finally adapted into an animated feature in 2018.
However, the animated feature didn’t see Kevin Conroy return to voice the caped crusader, and per Bruce Timm, it was due to marketing reasons.
Bruce Timm Elaborated on Casting Bruce Greenwood in Batman: Gotham by Gaslight
While it received mixed reviews upon its debut following its changes from the comics, with time, many have come to appreciate its narrative. Moreover, instead of bringing back Kevin Conroy to voice this iteration of Bruce Wayne, Bruce Timm opted for Star Trek star Bruce Greenwood to helm the 19th-century caped crusader.
Speaking to ScienceFiction.com, the Batman: The Animated Series creator explained that their decision to not go with Conroy was due to marketing reasons. While Conroy was always their top pick for the role, the director hasn’t backed away from bringing different actors on board to play distinct versions of the character. And for Gotham by Gaslight, he saw Greenwood, who previously voiced Batman in Under the Red Hood, as the perfect fit for a 19th-century Bruce Wayne.
He explained:
“Fortunately, we’ve had just a really awesome group of actors to play Batman over the years. Kevin Conroy is usually right at the top of our wishlist, and sometimes for marketing reasons they want us to go a different way. And this time Bruce Greenwood, who we’ve also worked with before, was right at the top of our list.”
Although Greenwood did an impeccable job delivering a more human version of The Dark Knight, it was the storyline surrounding James Gordon that remains the highlight of the adaptation.
Scott Patterson Had a Blast Playing a Psychotic James Gordon
While James Gordon is often Batman’s most trusted ally and is one of the few police officers in Gotham who stuck to their morals, Gotham by Gaslight did a 180 on the character. Instead of following the comic, in which Jacob Parker is revealed to be Jack the Ripper, in the film, it turns out to be James Gordon.
Scott Patterson, who voiced this iteration of the commissioner, stressed that he had an absolute blast playing the character, as playing a bad guy gave him more freedom as opposed to a good guy.
He said (via ComicBook.com):
“I’ve got to tell you: it’s the coolest role I’ve ever played in my entire career. Every actor wants a role where they’re the bad guy. The bad guy has much more license in an active sense than playing the good guy. Playing the good guy is really hard to do; you have to maintain that demeanor, that timbre through the entire film.”
Although it’s understandable why this might not be everyone’s cup of tea, for many this remains one of the best Batman releases of the past decade, which is saying a lot.
Batman: Gotham by Gaslight is available to rent on Apple TV.
