Whenever Jeffrey Wright’s on screen, something happens to my being; I just lock-in, and it was no different for his performance as James Gordon in Matt Reeves’ The Batman.

When I hung out with Jeffrey, to discuss The Agency, the Academy Award nominee came up with a pretty wild suggestion for the sequel: what if Jim Gordon’s own son, James Gordon Jr., was the villain? (As long as it’s not another Joker, I’m happy.)

While the idea might sound a bit out of left field, it’s definitely one worth entertaining. After all, a classic Batman story is built on dark family dynamics, and the Gordon family could use a little of that drama too.

“You know, there’s a lot to choose from,” said Jeffrey, pondering which villain from the Batman Rogues Gallery would be an exciting adversary in the sequel.

“Gordon actually has a son, who becomes somewhat nefarious. That could be a possibility.”

When I probed Jeffrey for who he’d like to see portray James Gordon Jr. – because I am a professional journalist, after all – Jeffrey said, “Oh, I have some ideas… Or maybe one idea.”

In the comics, James Jr. is the son of Jim Gordon and his wife Barbara. But instead of following in his father’s footsteps, James Jr. turns out to be a bit… Problematic. He’s a psychopathic killer with a disturbing history of violence, and over time, his relationship with his father grows increasingly fractured as Jim tries to reconcile his love for his son with the realization that James Jr. is a deeply troubled person.

Matt Reeves’ The Batman already brought a fresh, noir-inspired take on Gotham, and a villain like James Gordon Jr. would be the perfect fit for the darker, grounded world Reeves has built. Think about it: Gotham’s corruption doesn’t just come from the likes of Penguin or Riddler—it can tear apart the very institutions meant to uphold it, like the Gotham City Police Department.

James Jr. would offer a villain that’s less about flashy action and more about internal conflict. It could be Batman’s responsibility to take down a criminal mastermind, but Jim Gordon’s responsibility is to his son, which is a much more personal—and heartbreaking—battle. In a movie full of gritty action, this emotional complexity would be the perfect emotional hook.

Could James Gordon Jr. be the villain that takes The Batman II to the next level? If Jeffrey Wright’s suggestion gets the green light, we’d get a compelling, emotionally charged storyline that dives deep into family, loyalty, and the moral dilemmas that come with being part of Gotham’s dark legacy. Plus, it would give fans a brand-new (and deliciously twisted) antagonist to sink their teeth into.