It turns out that the Arrowverse - in anticipation of its introduction of Batwoman - asked Gotham to use their Bat Signal, and producers said no. Batman is, and will seemingly forever be, one of the most popular superheroes in the world. Such is the popularity of the Caped Crusader that multiple series are managing to get made that only tangentially relate to his crime-fighting exploits. In 2014, Warner Bros. began producing Gotham for FOX, a prequel series looking at the early days of the titular city, and following the evolution of Jim Gordon and Bruce Wayne into the characters fans know and love. Gotham’s fifth and final season premiered Thursday night.
With Gotham on the way out though, The CW is about to embark on the potential launch of another Batman-related series, starring Batwoman (played by Ruby Rose). The network introduced Batwoman to its sprawling DC superhero landscape in the recent Elseworlds crossover event, which spanned episodes of Arrow, The Flash, and Supergirl, but oddly excluded Legends of Tomorrow. Apparently satisfied with Batwoman’s TV debut, The CW officially ordered a pilot for a possible spinoff series Thursday afternoon.
However, in an odd turn of events, it turns out that the team behind the Arrowverse actually asked the producers of Gotham to use their Bat Signal prop for the introduction of both Batwoman and Gotham City during Elseworlds. According to an unnamed Gotham producer - speaking to Syfy Wire - the Arrowverse was given a quick and unequivocal no to their request. It’s unclear exactly why Gotham wasn’t willing to share, as both shows are produced by Warner Bros. TV, and are under the same corporate umbrella.
While Gotham’s producers refusing to let Elseworlds use their already existing Bat Signal might seem a bit petty, there are a few possible reasons one can think of for why they made that decision. From a creative standpoint, those behind Gotham might’ve been worried that a prop from their show being heavily featured on Elseworlds could lead to the false impression the two shows are connected somehow. Also, while Jim and Bruce unveiled a sort of proto-Bat Signal in the Gotham season 4 finale, the real deal was being reserved for inclusion in season 5, which only just now began airing. It’s very possible that Gotham’s team wasn’t comfortable with their Bat Signal being seen onscreen prior to its proper reveal.
Outside of possible creative reasons, it’s not too hard to imagine that Gotham’s producers might’ve felt a bit protective of Gotham City, and just plain not been happy that another show was about to present their own version of the location Gotham has spent so long building and expanding. That thought too might seem a bit petty, but when a crew pours years of their life into an artistic endeavor, it’s easy to start to feel a sense of ownership, even if those people didn’t originally create the characters and setting. With no explanation currently offered though, it remains anyone’s guess why Gotham’s producers weren’t willing to play ball.
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Gotham season 5 airs Thursdays on FOX.
Source: Syfy Wire
