The CW's Gotham Knights has cast Joe Chill, a crucial character from Batman's past, with a horror icon in Doug Bradley.
The role of Joe Chill, the crook who murdered Bruce Wayne's parents, has gone to Doug Bradley, reports Variety. The casting taps into pop culture's horror well since Bradley famously portrayed the dreadful Pinhead in the Hellraiser film franchise. He will debut in Episode 6 of the series, depicted as having been on death row for fifty years for his claim-to-fame crime and finally set for execution very shortly. Yet, it appears that Chill has a major role to play in the events of Gotham Knights since he is said to be in possession of crucial secrets; secrets with which he intends to cause a bit of chaos before he leaves this mortal coil.
Series co-creators Chad Fiveash, James Stoteraux and Natalie Abrams laud the acquisition in a statement. “When casting the iconic role of Joe Chill, arguably the man who created Batman, there was only one name we considered – Doug Bradley, We needed an actor with the kind of gravitas that would do justice to such a seminal character in DC Comics canon,” they wrote. “And who better to embody the role of the classic Gotham fiend than the man whose legendary portrayal of another classic fiend – Pinhead in the Hellraiser franchise — continues to terrify generations of horror fans?”
What Happened to Batman in Gotham Knights?
While Chill may be responsible for the inciting incident of the Batman mythos, Gotham Knights takes place in a period far removed from his Dark Knight-creating crime. Indeed, Bruce Wayne/Batman will not play a part in the series since he's set to become an instant martyr from the outset. This is clear from the latest promo, which -- in footage fans might find shocking -- depicts Batman's bloodied lifeless body lying in an alley -- not unlike the way Chill left his parents decades ago. Thus, the series shifts focus to the Batman Family's new generation in Turner Hayes (Oscar Morgan), Bruce Wayne's adopted son. However, he'll not only have to deal with the initial grief of losing Bruce but the fact that mysterious evidence puts him directly in the frame for the murder. The quest to clear his name will see him joined by Batman character progenies such as Carrie Kelley/Robin (Navia Robinson), the Joker’s daughter, Duela (Olivia Rose Keegan) and the Cluemaster’s daughter, Stephanie Brown (Anna Lore), and more.
Who Is Joe Chill?
Joe Chill, created by writer Bill Finger and penciler/writer Bob Kane, first appeared in Detective Comics #33 (1939), initially depicted as the nameless assailant in the first-ever telling of Batman's tragic origin story. The character would eventually receive his name in Batman #47 (1948) during a storyline in which Batman confronts the killer. Of course, the character would eventually experience several reinventions throughout the ensuing generations of DC Comics' myriad reboots and other-Earth entries. In fact, in last year's Future State: Gotham #17, from writer Dennis Culver and artists Geoffo and Giannis Milonogiannis, Damian Wayne found himself possessed by Chill's vengeful spirit.
Consequently, there's much more to Joe Chill in the annals of DC Comics than a simple small-time crook. Thus, Bradley's casting should be a development widely embraced by the fans. The English actor debuted as Pinhead in director Clive Barker's original 1987 entry, Hellraiser. He would reprise the role for seven sequels, most recently with 2005's Hellraiser: Hellworld, before ceding the role to other actors. One such actor is Jamie Clayton, who recently took over the role in Hulu's 2022 Hellraiser reboot film, manifesting a female version of the fearsome demonic Cenobite priest.
Gotham Knights premieres on The CW on March 14.
Source: Variety