Harvey Dent, better known as Two-Face, has always been one of Batman’s most formidable foes – but what happens when you take the Bat out of the equation before Harvey transforms into his villainous self ? Well, according to “Gotham Knights” star Misha Collins, it actually makes some elements a little too easy.
With the premiere of The CW’s new series, Collins is making the leap from the world of the supernatural to the world of superheroes Tuesday night. In it, he plays Harvey Dent, the White Knight of Gotham’s District Attorney. Of course, we all know how their story progresses. But, in this series, Batman dies within the first 10 minutes of the episode.
So, how do you play one of Batman’s fiercest villains with no Batman to face?
“I think it works out really great to create a new series,” Collins told TheWrap ahead of the premiere. “Because first of all, a lot of people don’t know all the subtle details that go into Harvey Dent/Two-Face’s backstory, right? So like, we’re looking for stuff about that particular character that most people are familiar with.” are not, unlike some other characters in the Batman universe, such as batman, Correct? Or Joker.
He continued, “It’s hard to tell those stories without people bringing stuff to the table. But I think this character is cool, because we know. We know there’s going to be a twist, we know it’s going to be Two-Face, don’t we? But other than that, we don’t know how he’s going to get there or why he’s going to get there. And with the rest of the cast of characters made up of children of notable Batman universe villains and heroes, we’re basically playing out a new story that’s been on everyone’s mind.
Collins noted that, free of any preconceived notions from DC fans, he and his artists were able to create their own story “in their own world, without stepping on the toes of those who have gone before us”.
Granted, Collins had his own views on Harvey Dent. The actor admitted that he was never a big comics reader, but he knew how important the character was to the universe. And, with some luck — and definitely some hubris — Collins hopes that the Harvey Dent / Two-Face introduced in “Gotham Knights” will leave a lasting legacy.
Collins said, “It was nice to be on the show, and then dive deep into all the existing lore about the character and be able to take the best elements to create this version of Harvey Dent.” “Which I think will eventually, probably, end up like an on-screen iteration – maybe it’s arrogance, but I think it’s like the definitive Harvey Dent story with the Two-Face story.”
‘Gotham Knights’ premieres Tuesday, March 14 at 9 PM ET on The CW.
