No More Mustache Rides. James Gordon Is Sans Lip Muff In Official GOTHAM Image

In the next entry of the official Gotham character images being released, we have rookie detective James Gordon. As the main character of the series, Gordon will be the focus of Fox’s look at Gotham City before Batman showed up. I have my issues with the way Ben McKenzie appears as Gordon, but take a look at the picture yourself before I rant.

Since the show hasn’t aired yet, I can’t comment on McKenzie’s portrayal of Gordon. Maybe he’ll be great, maybe he’ll suck, who knows. My issue here is that the two most defining physical aspects of Gordon’s character have been taken away for this show: his glasses and mustache.

Despite Gordon almost always wearing glasses in most adaptations of the character, I could understand if he was wearing contact lenses. It’s not ideal, but I would tolerate it. However, no mustache is an absolute abomination! Well, maybe not that bad, but it is weird.

Look, they go to all the trouble of making Donal Logue look like a near-perfect Harvey Bullock and having Robin Lord Taylor embody the bird-like appearance of The Penguin, but you can’t give McKenzie a mustache. I can’t believe that the only reason he doesn’t have a mustache is because he’s a rookie cop. There’s no rule that states you have to be an experienced cop to grow out facial hair. Gordon isn’t a costumed hero or villain, so to take away one of the few defining visual traits that makes him recognizable as a character is odd.

If Gordon grows his mustache out by the end of the first season, then I’ll chill out. However, Gary Oldman had the ‘stache when he played young Gordon is Batman Begins. What’s stopping McKenzie from having one?

SOURCE: Gotham