The whereabouts of Gotham City, the iconic backdrop of Batman’s adventures, has been a long-standing point of discussion among fans. While widely assumed to be nestled somewhere along the United States’ eastern coast, the precise state hosting Batman’s famed city remains shrouded in mystery. This ambiguity persists across various portrayals in DC Comics, films, television series, and video games, contributing to Gotham’s enigmatic charm.
The name “Gotham” itself has literary roots, predating Batman by over a century. Author Washington Irving first used “Gotham” as a nickname for New York City in 1807, a moniker that stuck and eventually inspired Batman’s co-creator, Bill Finger, to christen the Caped Crusader’s city as Gotham City in Batman #4 (1940). Finger cited New York City, with its urban grit, alongside the gangster-ridden atmosphere of Chicago and even the shadowy ambiance of London, as key inspirations for Gotham’s character.
The cinematic interpretations of Gotham City have further complicated its location. Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, for instance, utilized a blend of Chicago, New York City, and Pittsburgh to construct its visual Gotham. Other Batman film productions have drawn from locations as diverse as Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, Liverpool, and Glasgow. The campy 1960s Batman TV series, with its bright and sunny aesthetic, was filmed in the Greater Los Angeles area, a stark contrast to the grim Gotham depicted in the Joker films starring Joaquin Phoenix, which were shot in New York and New Jersey. In contrast, the more stylized and theatrical Gotham scenes in Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher’s Batman movies were predominantly created on soundstages, adding another layer to the city’s shifting visual identity. This constant visual evolution across different media only deepens the mystery surrounding Gotham City’s true geographical placement.
Image alt text: Dramatic Gotham City skyline illustration from a comic book cover, showcasing towering skyscrapers under a dark, cloudy sky, emphasizing the city’s imposing and shadowy atmosphere.
For a significant period within the comic books, Gotham City was often considered to be located within the state of New Jersey. Comic writer Mark Gruenwald even proposed this theory, and numerous comics throughout the years have either explicitly placed or strongly hinted at Gotham’s presence in the Garden State. This New Jersey setting is also adopted by the Gotham City depicted in the Snyderverse series of films.
Adding another piece to the puzzle, the HBO series The Penguin seemingly reinforces this New Jersey connection. In the first episode, a glimpse of Victor Aguilar’s driver’s license clearly indicates Gotham City as being situated in New Jersey. This detail appeared to solidify the long-held belief about Gotham’s location.
However, the upcoming film Joker: Folie à Deux, the sequel to the 2019 Joker movie, throws a wrench into this established notion. The trailers and promotional material for the film reveal that the Gotham City where Arthur Fleck resides is, in fact, located in a different state altogether.
In Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folie à Deux, Arthur Fleck’s trial for the murders committed in the first film is a central plot point. Crucially, the legal proceedings are identified as The State of New York vs. Arthur Fleck, with Harvey Dent, portrayed as the Assistant District Attorney, leading the prosecution. Further supporting this shift, license plates and other in-film documentation explicitly identify Gotham as being within New York State.
IGN engaged with director Todd Phillips regarding this deliberate change in setting. Phillips explained, “Well, Gotham is often said to be in New Jersey. It was discussed. Not with anyone at DC, it was discussed amongst ourselves,” Phillips clarified. “We just kinda went with the ‘who are we kidding’ idea. Also cause it sounded weird ‘the state of New Jersey vs Arthur Fleck.’” This candid response from the director highlights the somewhat arbitrary nature of Gotham’s location and suggests that aesthetic and narrative considerations can outweigh established lore.
Image alt text: Close-up still of Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck in Joker: Folie à Deux, portraying a troubled and intense expression, set against the backdrop of a gritty, urban Gotham City, emphasizing the film’s dark and psychological themes.
Ultimately, the question of where Gotham City is located has no definitive answer. Its location is as fluid and adaptable as the Batman mythos itself, shifting to suit the needs of different stories and interpretations. Whether Gotham is in New Jersey, New York, or simply a fictional amalgamation of various urban centers, its essence remains constant: a city of shadows, crime, and the ever-present symbol of hope embodied by Batman.
For further exploration into the world of Gotham and its inhabitants, discover more about Arthur Fleck’s potential views on Batman and insights from Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga on Joker: Folie à Deux. You can also delve into a review of The Penguin: Episode 2 and an oral history of the Gotham TV series.
