Jeffrey Wright is countering criticism that he had received for portraying Commissioner Jim Gordon in The Batman (2022). While the movie was a hit at the box office and on the critical circuit, a part of the audience had opposed a Black actor playing Gotham's chief cop.Wright, set to play the role for the second time in The Batman: Part II, has now countered the backlash head-on.In an interview with Collider on September 2, 2025, Jeffrey Wright described the negativity as "the dumbest thing," explaining that it exposed more profound concerns regarding how audiences hold onto old ideas of what comic book characters look like.He said to Collider,"It's just so f***ing racist and stupid. It's just so blind in a way that I find revealing to not recognize that the evolution of these films reflects the evolution of society, that somehow it's defiling this franchise not to keep it grounded in the cultural reality of 1939 when the comic books were first published. It's just the dumbest thing. It's absent all logic."What did Jeffrey Wright say about his role in The Batman movie?Speaking to Collider on September 2, 2025, Jeffrey Wright explained that he was surprised anyone would complain about a Black man playing Jim Gordon. He called the backlash "racist and stupid," noting that critics were overlooking the manner in which superhero movies had always reflected the times in which they were created.Wright stated that maintaining the notion that Batman stories should remain locked in the 1930s cultural background, the time when the comics first emerged, was an unwillingness to observe how society and narrative have progressed.Wright emphasized that The Batman is not cheapened by casting decisions such as his; rather, such adjustments open up the universe and make it contemporary. He also spoke of the original intent behind Batman creators Bob Kane and Bill Finger, saying:"Bob Kane and Bill Finger are two Jewish guys up in the Bronx, imagining heroes and villains in a city that looked like the city around them at the time, but I think what they imagined was open-ended. I think that the success and the longevity of these stories and characters are owing to the openness of their imaginations and what they created."Wright also pointed out that as a cast member, he now has skin in the game, adding:"I sense that I have ownership of those stories as much as anybody."The sequel to The Batman, which has been delayed multiple times, now hits theaters on October 1, 2027. While the fans have been waiting anxiously, DC Studios head James Gunn came to the defense of Reeves' timetable, explaining to Entertainment Weekly that audiences must let the filmmaker have room to finish writing the script in his own way.Read More: 7 Crime Comedies to Watch if You Loved 'Caught Stealing'More details on Jeffrey Wright exploredJeffrey Wright at The 82nd Venice International Film Festival (Image via Getty)Jeffrey Wright, born on December 7, 1965, is a highly acclaimed American actor whose work has included stage, film, television, and video games. One of the few actors to have won a Tony Award, a Golden Globe, and an Emmy Award, he also received an Academy Award nomination in 2024 for his starring role in American Fiction.Wright initially gained recognition through his theater work in Tony Kushner's Angels in America (1993), and later reprised the role in the HBO miniseries adaptation, earning him an Emmy.He launched his film career with a breakout performance as artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in the biopic Basquiat (1996). Throughout his career, he has portrayed a diverse array of characters in films such as Syriana (2005), Cadillac Records (2008), and Rustin (2023).He also became familiar to general audiences through his role as CIA operative Felix Leiter in the James Bond movies Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), and No Time to Die (2021).Jeffrey Wright has also made a mark in television. He portrayed Bernard Lowe in HBO's Westworld, for which he received several Emmy nominations, and played Valentin Narcisse on Boardwalk Empire. His versatility also extends to voice acting, most notably as The Watcher in Marvel's animated series What If...? In video games, he voiced Isaac Dixon in The Last of Us Part II and again in HBO's live-action series in 2025.In more recent years, Wright has worked extensively with director Wes Anderson, appearing in The French Dispatch (2021), Asteroid City (2023), and The Phoenician Scheme (2025).Read More: "Don’t want to go full ‘Deadpool'"- Channing Tatum explains about his accent as Gambit in the upcoming Avengers: DoomsdayJeffrey Wright will resume the role of Jim Gordon in The Batman: Part II, which is being directed by Matt Reeves.