Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty ImagesWelcome to Gotham CIty, bitch!
The O.C. star Ben McKenzie has landed the coveted role of a Detective James Gordon in Fox's highly anticipated , Warner Bros. Television confirmed on Saturday. Go on, we'll give you a moment to fangirl out. We'll wait.
Back? OK, let's move on! The origin series will focus on a young Jim Gordon, who was played by Gary Oldman in Christopher Nolan's successful Batman trilogy, and the DC Comics Villain that made Gotham famous. The Mentalist creator Bruno Heller will serve as executive producer on the series.
After the casting news broke, McKenzie took to Twitter to assure Batman fans he wouldn't let them down. "All I can promise is I will do my best not to screw this up," he wrote. "Can't wait to get to work."
Since saying goodbye to Ryan Atwood's iconic white tanks and leather chokers when The O.C. ended in 2007, McKenzie starred in TNT's critically acclaimed cop drama, Southland, which aired its series finale last year.
Fun fact: McKenzie actually voiced Bruce Wayne/Batman in Batman: Year One, the 2011 animated film.
At the 2014 Winter TCA Press Tour, Fox boss Kevin Reilly revealed some juicy details about the series, which he described as an "operatic soap" that will showcase "Gotham teetering on the edge."
Reilly teased that fanboys will see a bunch of familiar faces, including the Penguin, the Joker, Catwoman, and yes, Bruce Wayne. "Batman is in it, a young Bruce Wayne," Reilly confirmed, adding that he'll probably be "a young boy" around the age of 12 in the series. "This is all of the classic Batman characters."