Gotham Knights Finds Its Joe Chill in a Horror Legend

According to Deadline, Hellraiser vet Doug Bradley has been tapped to portray the key role of Joe Chill in The CW’s upcoming teen superhero drama Gotham Knights. Chill is best known as the man who murdered Bruce Wayne’s parents, which ultimately triggered the events that led to the creation of Batman.

Bradley’s Joe Chill is expected to appear in Episode 6, where he’ll be introduced as a death row inmate who’s scheduled to be executed. The series is slated to premiere on March 14.

“When casting the iconic role of Joe Chill, arguably the man who created Batman, there was only one name we considered … Doug Bradley,” Producers Natalie Abrams, Chad Fiveash, and James Stoteraux said in a statement. “We needed an actor with the kind of gravitas that would do justice to such a seminal character in DC Comics canon. 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?”

Gotham Knights will bring together the offspring of several of Batman’s biggest foes as a crime-fighting force operating in a city without its biggest protector. The series stars Fallon Smythe as Bluebird, Tyler DiChiara as her brother Cullen Row, Olivia Rose Keegan as Duela Dent, Navia Robinson as Carrie Kelley, Oscar Morgan as Turner Hayes, Misha Collins as Harvey Dent, Anna Lore as Stephanie Brown, Ethan Embry as Arthur Brown/ Cluemaster and Sunny Mabrey as Crystal Brown.

“In the wake of Bruce Wayne’s murder, his rebellious adopted son forges an unlikely alliance with the children of Batman’s enemies when they are all framed for killing the Caped Crusader,” reads the synopsis. “And as the city’s most wanted criminals, this renegade band of misfits must fight to clear their names. But in a Gotham with no Dark Knight to protect it, the city descends into the most dangerous it’s ever been. However, hope comes from the most unexpected of places as this team of mismatched fugitives will become its next generation of saviors known as the Gotham Knights.”

Based on the DC Comics characters created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, the live-action series is written and executive produced by Batwoman writers Natalie Abrams (Supergirl, All American) and Chad Fiveash, as well as James Stoteraux (The Vampire Diaries, Gotham).

The series is produced by Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. Executive producers include Fiveash, Stoteraux, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and David Madden, with Abrams co-executive producing.