Jada Pinkett Smith? Returns To ‘?Gotham?’ As Fish Mooney In Second Season?

Jada Pinkett Smith has recently been in the headlines for speaking out about the lack of diversity in this year’s Oscar nominations, but TVLine has just confirmed that the actress will be returning to her latest television role. Jada Pinkett Smith’s Fish Mooney character will be returning in the current, second season of Gotham.

WARNING! SPOILERS FOR GOTHAM AHEAD

Fans of the television series, loosely-based on DC Comics’ characters, may remember Fish Mooney’s character seemingly meeting her end. The question is, how are the writers planning to bring the character back if she is presumed to be dead? The answer may lie within the midseason finale episode. Bruno Heller, Gotham’s executive producer and showrunner, says, “I would definitely not assume anything in a town like Gotham. It’s very unpredictable, the comic book world.”

Gotham‘s midseason finale had the dead body of Theo Gallivan being brought into the hands of “Professor Strange,” who can only be Dr. Hugo Strange, a scientist and psychologist who was the first Batman villain to determine the Caped Crusader’s secret identity. Specifically, Gallivan was in a laboratory at Indian Hill, in the hopes of bringing him back to life. Keep in mind, Theo Gallivan was shot at point-blank range, while also having Penguin’s umbrella shoved down his throat. If they are able to somehow bring his character back to life, resurrecting Fish Mooney becomes more plausible.

BREAKING: Get ready Gotham City, because Fish Mooney is back! https://t.co/MLiKPu5UTL @Gotham pic.twitter.com/4RyPA1MKEN

— DC (@DCOfficial) January 29, 2016

“Professor Strange has high hopes for this one,” one of the Indian Hill technicians says in the finale episode, referring to Theo Gallivan’s body.

Jada Pinkett Smith expressed love for Fish Mooney and admitted that seeing her go was pretty tough.

“She’s one of the characters that has been the most difficult to let go of. I still have my Fish Mooney nails and I think I’m going to keep them for a while. I love Fish. She’s one of my favorite characters. If she survives, I would definitely be willing to do whatever was necessarily to continue servicing the story of Gotham. I think I’m going to hold onto these nails for a minute.”

Jada Pinkett Smith originally signed a one-year contract for Gotham to play Fish Mooney, a completely original character for the show, and one that does not appear in any DC Comics. This allowed the actress to have more freedom with how she wanted to portray the character. In this second season of Gotham, which should return from its mid-season break near the end of February, Fish Mooney will be appearing in “multiple episodes.”

“I felt like I had an opportunity to be part of a franchise that I’ve been watching and reading about since I was a little girl. I was given the opportunity to help create a character that would be part of the Gotham myth, even if it’s only on television. I was like, ‘Wow, who gets that opportunity to do that?’ I’m kind of a comic book geek myself, so that was an opportunity I couldn’t give up. I felt like I did have a lot more license than maybe some of the other characters, because those characters—like the Penguin or the Riddler or Catwoman—are in a very specific mythology in regards to the franchise of Batman.”

Jada, who recently appeared in Magic Mike XXL, says that playing this character has reinvigorated her desire to perform in front of the camera again. Prior to this television role, she wasn’t receiving any scripts that really spoke to her or challenged her. Though she has been behind the camera, producing and creating projects for others, this may inspire her to take on more acting roles in the near future. And, as far as she is concerned, there is still more to be told with Mooney’s story.

Jada Pinkett Smith? reprising the role of Fish Mooney should do wonders for the second season of Gotham.

Jada Pinkett Smith Returns To "Gotham" https://t.co/VgI3moRnYz pic.twitter.com/qK5JGJ1ASF

— Cultjer (@cultjer) January 29, 2016

Gotham returns on Monday, February 29 at 8 p.m. on Fox.

[Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for The Clara Lionel Foundation]