Gotham: Michael Chiklis Cast As Captain Nathaniel Barnes

Via TVLine, we have news that The Shield star and award-winning actor Michael Chiklis has been cast in the series-regular role of Captain Nathaniel Barnes for Season 2 of Fox’s Gotham. Gotham‘s producers gave this description of Barnes:

"Who’s Barnes, exactly? Per Gotham‘s producers, he “lands on the GCPD like a tornado, ripping out the dead wood of Gotham’s police force. He is a law and order zealot; unafraid of making enemies – on either side of the law. For Gordon (Ben McKenzie), Barnes is a hero and a mentor, someone with whom he can share the burden of heroism. Captain Barnes proves himself to be a strong ally to Gordon… but one day he will make an equally powerful enemy.”"

The role of Nathaniel Barnes seems to have been solely created for the television series as there are no other references to him outside of Gotham. This may benefit the series because it now has an unknown quantity which could raise the suspense level. Most of Season 1 contained classic characters in Batman’s universe, albeit in younger incarnations due to this being an origin story. Introducing never-before-seen players will only serve to freshen up the show’s more predictable outcomes.

Michael Chiklis started his career on the 1980s hit television series Miami vice, making an appearance in the episode titled The Lost Madonna. Since then, he’s been cast in several hit television shows and films. His most famous role to-date has been the character of corrupt LAPD detective Victor Samuel “Vic” Mackey on the FX crime drama The Shield. Chiklis embodied the role for the whole series run from 2002 to 2008. His work on the show earned him several awards: Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, Satellite Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama, and Television Critics Award for Individual Achievement in Drama.

This is actually not Michael Chiklis’s first foray into comic book material. He played The Thing in Fantastic Four (2005) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007). As a lifelong comic book fan, he will almost never turn down an autograph request from a child. According to the Fantastic Four (2005) DVD commentary, Chiklis has been going hoarse due to him imitating The Thing’s voice for children. In his own words, “How do you say ‘no’ to an 8-year old?”

Because Chiklis will be a series-regular, it’s assumed that the character of Nathaniel Barnes will make his debut during the premiere episode of Season 2 of Gotham.

Season 2 of Fox’s Gotham will premiere on Monday, September 21, 2015 at 8PM EST.

Next: Gotham casts Natalie Alyn Lind as Silver St. Cloud

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