Gotham: Cameron Monaghan Compares Jerome & Joker

Gotham’s Cameron Monaghan notes that Jerome has a familiar feel, but isn’t just a Joker wannabe

Is Jerome Valeska the Joker of Gotham? He might be the closest thing you’ve seen to DC’s Clown Prince Of Crime on the show, but he hasn’t put on a purple tux and started sporting deadly joybuzzers or acid-squirting flowers just yet.

Cameron Monaghan, who plays Jerome on Gotham, compared his character, who many believe already pretty much is the Joker or will be soon, to Batman’s most well-known and deadliest adversary:

"What’s kind of unique about Gotham, and what plays to the strength of this story, is that Gotham is its own canon. Within the comics, anyone who’s familiar with reading comics knows that many different canons exist. There’s no specific one story for pretty much every character. Gotham has its own canon which then allows for volatility. Volatility for the story. Because we don’t know for sure what’s going to happen. We don’t know who’s going to live or die necessarily. Jerome killed Sarah Essen on the show and that character was around a long, long time in the comics only to be killed by the Joker way, way later, further down the line. So we know already that certain things aren’t safe. That’s what’s exciting about telling a story like Jerome’s. He’s familiar but not so familiar that he feels like old hat. I see that as a positive. And the fact that people are enjoying the story is really freakin’ cool. I’m a fan of the stuff myself so everything I’m doing is in service of my inner fan and so I’m trying to satisfy that guy. Obviously I’m not going to be able to satisfy everyone, but that goes with art, and especially with adapting comic book material. But the fact that people do like it and are excited about it makes my job great."

Next: New Gotham Trailer Teases Jerome/Bruce Confrontation

Honestly if anything that answer makes me lean towards Jerome actually becoming Joker at some point. He just said the show basically has its own canon, that opens the door pretty wide to make Joker’s origin story whatever they please. Which is obviously fine because 1. It’s just a TV show that isn’t treated as official canon anyways and 2. The Joker has no real origin so this one would be as good as any if you really want. Gotham’s winter finale airs this Monday on Fox!

h/t IGN