Although the gradual rise of Bruce Wayne from grieving young orphan to masked vigilante is an increasingly prominent thread on Gotham, Ben McKenzie's James Gordon has been at the center of the Fox drama since its 2014 premiere. In fact, the actor argues, you might even say that Gordon was the original Batman.

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Appearing Thursday on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, McKenzie discussed trying to indoctrinate his young children into the belief that he and his character are every bit as cool as the Dark Knight.

"I'm working on that," he said. "They're at the perfect age to be brain-washed -- 4 and 2, you gotta start early. [...] So, I explained to them the 'truth,' which is that, without Jim Gordon there would be no Batman. And that, if you really think about it -- and I encourage you to really think about it -- you could almost argue that Gordon was the first Batman. He's the first lawman in Gotham City, and he's keeping it together."

Just in case McKenzie's children were awake way past their bedtime and watching the show, Colbert heartily endorsed the theory. "Your father is exactly right," he said. "Listen to everything he says."

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Returning from its midseason hiatus March 1 Fox, Gotham stars Ben McKenzie as James Gordon, Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock, David Mazouz as Bruce Wayne, Robin Lord Taylor as Penguin, Cameron Bicondova as Selina Kyle, Erin Richards as Barbara Kean and Sean Pertwee as Alfred Pennyworth.