Gotham Mad Hatter
Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz, left) and Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) will meet a new villain in “Gotham” Season 3: the Mad Hatter. Fox

“Gotham” is adding more new blood to the cast. On Monday, Fox revealed Benedict Samuel has been chosen to play the Mad Hatter. With an actor finally cast as the villain, it’s time to look into his comic book origins. Find out what we already know about the “Alice in Wonderland”-inspired character and how Season 3 of the drama might diverge from the character’s comic book origins.

1. Jervis Tetch — Like all villains, the Mad Hatter’s given name is relatively boring. He took his alias from the Lewis Carroll classic “Alice in Wonderland,” with which he is obsessed.

2. Searching for Alice — When he arrives on “Gotham,” he’ll be determined to find his sister Alice. In the comics, he didn’t have a sister, but he kidnapped young girls to be “Alice” at his tea parties.

3. Arkham Asylum — In an unsurprising turn of events, the Mad Hatter had quite a history with Arkham Asylym in the comics. He has schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder and delusions, but he might not start out at the mental institution in the TV show. The official casting descriptions (via TVLine) says he is “teetering on the edge of madness,” implying that he isn’t quite as far gone as his comic book counterpart.

4. Mind Control — As his name indicates, the Mad Hatter is crazy, but he is also a scientific genius. He loves to use technological mind control devices that are disguised as hats. He also uses a gun that can spray fire or gas when he needs to get out of sticky situations.

5. Alliances — The Mad Hatter doesn’t always work alone. He has teamed up with the Secret Society of Supervillains, the Wonderland Gang and the Secret Six to wreak havoc in the city of Gotham in the comics. It isn’t clear if he will be an ally to any of the bad guys on the Fox drama, but there are definitely plenty of villains to choose from.

6. Captured by Vicki Vale — At one point in the comics, Vicki Vale managed to help the Dynamic Duo capture the villain. Though Vicki is still young at this point, her aunt Valerie (Jamie Chung) is being introduced in Season 3. She is also a reporter who is investigating Indian Hill. Could the Fox drama have Valerie fulfill Vicki’s role? Fans will have to tune in to find out.

“Gotham” Season 3 premieres on Fox Monday, Sept. 19, at 8 p.m. EDT.

RELATED STORIES