The following article contains spoilers for Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers, streaming now on Disney+.
When J.K. Simmons got cast as Commissioner Jim Gordon in Zack Snyder's DC movies, fans were excited. They loved Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson, and his range -- which included comedy, action and drama -- made him perfect for the Gordon alongside Ben Affleck's Batman. Sadly, he got wasted in Justice League, relegated to only a few lines. He felt like a flippant sidekick more than a trusted Bat-ally, which may get fixed in the Batgirl movie. However, for those who wanted Simmons as a cop with a purpose right now, Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers delivered just that -- only with a dark twist.
It came in the form of Simmons' Captain Putty, a Gumby-esque claymation police captain who was investigating the missing toon cases in the film. Chip and Dale were worried their buddy Monty was kidnapped and would be warped by the Valley Gang, so they turned to Putty. And thanks to Ellie, a rookie LAPD officer, they all felt like they were making headway with an experienced guy in charge.
However, Putty confessed that no matter how many cases he worked the gang always got the better of him in their bootlegging project. Still, he cut a selfless figure, with Ellie looking up to him, especially as he seemingly lost body parts in the line of duty. It was the kind of thing Gordon would do, risking it all and setting an example. Sadly, after Rescue Rangers built Putty up as an ally, the finale revealed he was working with the gang and their leader, Sweet Pete.
Putty didn't care about cartoons being experimented on in the trafficking scheme -- he made his tragedy up as cover so no one would figure he was making money. He even admitted he was corrupt not because someone in his family was sick but because he loved getting rich quickly. It was a dark twist on Gordon, making this police chief a true villain who duped the heroes rather than helped them.
Thankfully, he was taken down and thrown in jail, but it left Ellie hurting because he was a role model to many. Ultimately, this reeked of a Gordon who fell into the grime of Gotham in an Elseworlds story, losing his way and carving out a selfish path in the world. Nevertheless, fans are eager to see how Simmons will wash this away in Batgirl and if his Gordon will leave an impression -- good or bad -- as Putty did in a broken City of Angels.
To see J.K. Simmons' Gordon get redeemed, Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers is streaming now on Disney+.