Justice League reveals first look at J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon

Today may be Batman Day, but every Dark Knight needs his James Gordon. In celebration of the superhero’s big day, director Zack Snyder shared the first look of J.K. Simmons in the role of Gotham’s vigilant commissioner in Justice League.

In the black-and-white image posted to social media, Simmons appears in character as he stares up at the night sky next to the illuminated Batsignal on a rooftop set.

Simmons was first announced in the DC superhero role a few months after winning an Oscar for Whiplash.

“People of my generation remember Commissioner Gordon as this jolly, ineffectual Santa Claus type, and I think over the years in the comics there’s definitely much more of a badass side to him,” he told EW earlier this year. “One of the things that’s interesting to me is investigating hopefully a little bit more of that badass [side]…You’re living in a universe where it’s pretty tough to be a badass compared to somebody like Batman, but in the universe of non-superheroes I like the idea of Commissioner Gordon as a guy that can take care of himself, a guy that’s a real partner to Batman, not just a guy that turns on the bat signal and goes, ‘Help! Help, Batman!’

See the first look below, as well as a behind-the-scenes shot of Snyder on set.

Simmons will appear in Justice League alongside Ben Affleck (Batman), Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Ray Fisher (Cyborg), Ezra Miller (The Flash), and Henry Cavill (Superman). The film will hit theaters on Nov. 17, 2017.