Bad news for Spider-Man fans: it looks like JK Simmons won't be playing J Jonah Jameson for the new Spider-Man movies. He's the latest comic book movie actor to cross the divide after being cast as Commissioner Gordon for Justice League: Part One, according to THR. Yes, that's the same Commissioner Gordon who is apparently dead for Batman V Superman (hence not appearing). Apparently he's not as dead as has been widely reported. Simmons is an excellent choice for Gordon - particularly if it means he'll lead in to the stand-alone Batman films in the role - but his presence in the ensemble poses some interesting questions for the rest of the DC Extended Universe. For a start, how come he's no longer dead? Is it an accident that the casting news comes hot on the tail of the news that Jena Malone's filmed role in Batman V Superman has been cut (and reserved for the extended bluray cut)? If the rumours that Gordon was initially dead are true, then we're either looking at a situation where Zack Snyder has changed his stance or there's going to have to be some SERIOUSLY imaginative writing involved. There's always a chance that Gordon was supposed to be dead, but the decision to remove Barbara Gordon (if that is indeed who Malone is playing) has been made to bring him back. Because the prospect of future Batman films without a Commissioner Gordon would not be right. Given that the strongest rumours seem to suggest that Affleck's stand-alone will be Under The Red Hood, the linear timeline would make a resurrection impossible. The Spider-Man issue is of course a slight sting to the tale, but thanks to that new timeline, there's no way JK Simmons' Jameson would still be alive by the time Peter Parker is ready for his job at the Daily Bugle. For that matter, whether the Bugle is even still alive by the time Parker grows up should be a pretty legitimate concern. So it's not like he's really a possibility for another appearance as his most iconic performance. Justice League has been written by Chris Terrio, the first part of which is released on November 17th 2017, and the second on June 14th 2019. Are you excited to see JK Simmons in Justice League? Share your reactions below in the comments thread below.
