Could Barbara Kean Fight Crime On 'Gotham'?

Jim Gordon may be taking down Gotham's villains as a cop with the Gotham P.D. — and, you know, dealing with the crooked officers within the Gotham P.D. — but he's not the only Gotham character fighting for justice. Bruce Wayne is a little young to don the cape as Batman, but there is one person who might take up vigilantism, and that's Jim's fiancée on Gotham , Barbara Kean. We know from "The Balloonman" that Barbara has a more mysterious past than expected — not only did she keep her year-long relationship with Renee Montoya a secret from her current fiancé, but she also has a dark past that could involve criminal behavior. Barbara's secrets may be plentiful, but they're also a key factor in why she pushes for truth from her police officer husband-to-be: It's clear something bad happened in Barbara's past and that she doesn't want to get caught up in the corruption. And, if the theories about Barbara's role on Gotham are correct, that could mean taking justice into her own hands — as a soon-to-be superhero. The latest theory is that soon she'll be sporting a mask of her own, as Barbara could become Batwoman.

Comic Book Movie posted this interesting read about how Barbara Kean, who appears in the comic books as Jim's wife, might really be a more significant parallel of a different character in the comics — Kate Kane. Avid comic book readers would have noticed these parallels right off the bat, particularly when it comes to the past that Barbara has with Renee. On Gotham, Barbara and Renee have a romantic past, while in the comics, Kate was Renee's first love. Hmm... interesting, right?

Other clues that Barbara might be Kate Kane's counterpart are the fact that they both appear to come from a wealthy background. In most versions of Kate's character in the comics, she is depicted as coming from a Wayne-level of wealth. Barbara doesn't appear quite as well off as the Wayne family on Gotham (she doesn't live in the Gothic mansion that Bruce and Alfred pal around in all day), but she definitely has more money than most of the people we've met so far on the series. Top that off with her very mysterious past, and it seems clear that the show is setting Barbara up for greatness — possibly of the superhero variety.

Gotham isn't a direct adaptation of any of the Batman comic series, but it does borrow heavily from a variety of sources, which means that Gotham's Barbara might be a version of both Barbara from the comics and Kate. Since Gotham is first and foremost a Batman origin story, we might not see Barbara physically put on a superhero cape, but if this theory is correct, we will see her attempt some form of rogue justice. My theory? That Barbara will try to clean up Jim's messes in the police department — without his knowledge. And that might be a good thing, because we know that Jim will need all the help he can get.

Images: Jessica Miglio/Fox; Giphy (2)