Jeffrey Wright is no stranger to major franchises, having been involved in The Hunger Games and James Bond series of movies.
Bond, in particular, is probably the most famous movie franchise of all time and so that comes with a certain level of pressure for an actor. Alongside Daniel Craig's 007, Wright played Felix Leiter in Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace and No Time to Die.
In 2022, he joined the comic book world, portraying Commissioner Jim Gordon in The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne.
Even though he is a veteran actor in his own right and has graced the Bond series, he believes the fandom involving Batman is much more passionate than any other project he has been involved in.
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"Bond is the most successful franchise in cinema, but I'll have to say that there's a passion around Batman, and the level of expectation around Batman from fans — from a global audience that I've not experienced before, even these huge monster franchises that I've worked on — this is kind of new territory for me," he told The Independent.
Why are comic book fans so passionate?
Wright believes that the passion for comic book adaptations comes from a "deeply personal" appreciation for the characters involved.
"I think there's an element of trust that audiences have in these characters and that they've had over many decades, that generates a passion for them, particularly in an increasingly untrustworthy world, an increasingly kind of unstable and fluid world," he continued.
"These characters and these stories are, I think, grabbed onto even more intensely by fans, because it's a place that they can lay down their trust, even in the villainous. They know what to expect, or they know within parameters what to expect. Certainly with the heroic characters.
"There's something that's deeply personal and deeply important for fans, I think — particularly now."
The Emmy and Tony Award winner will reprise his role as Jim Gordon in The Batman: Part II.
Related Movie
Batman, The
Action / Crime
2022 • 175 minutes
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