Gotham's fifth and final season will feature an older version of Ben McKenzie's Jim Gordon, but the actor's facial hair won't quite be the real article. Following the conclusion of Gotham season 4, Fox green-lit production on another run, but with the caveat that season 5 would be the show's swansong, and consist of a reduced 12 episodes. Since first premiering in 2014, Gotham has revolved around a younger Jim Gordon during his days as a rookie detective and with each passing season, Ben McKenzie's character has gradually transformed into the Gordon figure fans know and love from the Batman comics.

As has been widely reported, Gotham's final act will include flashforward elements of some description. These scenes will see comic-accurate versions of Penguin and Riddler, a fully-fledged Batman and an older Commissioner Gordon. It's not known exactly when or how these scenes will fit into Gotham's current season however, and they could form anything from a full episode to a Harry Potter-style epilogue.

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Of course, one of the most familiar traits of Jim Gordon in the Batman comic books is his 'jaded police officer' mustache. Thus far in Gotham, Ben McKenzie's upper lip has been noticeably devoid of hair but that is set to change in the actor's forthcoming flashforward scenes. The 'stache will not, however, be of McKenzie's own making, as the actor claims he wasn't given enough time to grow one. Speaking on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, McKenzie was asked about the Gordon mustache and answered: "I had two days to grow it...they stuck a thing on me and it looks great. That's going to go in the vault somewhere."

McKenzie also discussed the show's representation of a grown-up Batman, claiming that while viewers would definitely get to see the Caped Crusader, he couldn't say how long the hero would be on screen. As well as acting as the show's leading man, McKenzie has moonlighted as both a director and writer on Gotham and revealed that he's given plenty of creative freedom by the show's higher-ups, within reason, when tasked with penning an episode.

It remains to be seen whether the fake 'stache will be deemed worthy of the Jim Gordon name, however there's a strong chance that the older version of the character won't be on screen long enough for viewers to put his new facial hair under any serious scrutiny. In either case, it's certainly fitting for Gotham to conclude with a more traditional version of Jim Gordon, rounding the show off on a familiar note and drawing a line under the character's development over the past five seasons. The fact that the show is bringing back the iconic mustache is the hairy icing on the cake.

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Gotham continues with "The Trial Of Jim Gordon" March 7th on Fox.

Source: Jimmy Kimmel Live!