Why Gotham Was Forbidden From Fully Transforming Jerome Into The Joker

The origin of Batman unfolded across the five seasons of Fox's "Gotham" TV show, but the Joker never made an appearance ... at least, that's what Warner Bros. lawyers will probably tell you

"Shameless" star Cameron Monaghan played twins Jeremiah and Jerome Valeska. The pair of twisted TV villains caused chaos for young Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) and Gotham City, ultimately playing a key role in the hero's journey to becoming Batman. When discussing the character's hairstyle, Monaghan revealed that Warner Bros. wanted to keep the "Joker" title away from TV.

"Pure green was off-limits to us, as well as the name 'Joker,' a decision from high-up as they wanted to reserve these for films. A decision which ultimately I respect," he wrote on X in 2018. "They did not want to dilute the very lucrative brand. It allowed for creativity on our end." Warner Bros. was developing Joaquin Phoenix's "Joker" movie at the time and released it months after "Gotham" ended in 2019.

Jerome Valeska died in "Gotham" Season 4 but his brother, Jeremiah Valeska, took his place as the unofficial Clown Prince of Crime. Though he wasn't referred to as such, he was obviously intended to be the Joker, thanks to the eventual purple outfit and pale skin. 

When the superhero TV show ended, Bruce Wayne finally became Batman and handedly defeated Jeremiah. According to Cameron Monaghan, "Gotham" had permission to lean harder into the villain's classic look for the show's swansong.

"We were allowed a lot more leniency than we were ever allowed before. A lot of that is thanks to the fans wanting it and also to us for fighting the good fight," he told TV Insider. "We're in the final season of the show, so we could go 'Screw it... What are you gonna do, cancel us?'"