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Lanterns Star on Learning Character Had DCU Batman/Gotham Connection

HBO's Lanterns star Kelly Macdonald discusses how she reacted when she learned that her character had a DCU Batman/Gotham connection.

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Article Summary

  • Lanterns sparked Batman speculation when Sheriff Kerry says, “Tell Barb I said, Hey,” hinting at Gotham’s Gordons.
  • Lanterns deepened the DCU mystery by revealing Sheriff Kerry’s original name, Kerry Kane, tied to Gotham legacy.
  • In Lanterns Episode 2, Kerry confirms she is from Gotham City, fueling theories about a major Batman-family link.
  • Kelly Macdonald says learning her Lanterns character had Gotham roots was “huge” and compared it to being Disney royalty.

By the time the series premiere of HBO's Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre-starring Lanterns wrapped, a whole lot of folks were convinced that Rushville Sheriff Kerry Kane (Kelly Macdonald) had a serious connection to the DCU's Batman Universe via a backstory in Gotham City – and rightfully so. After Hal (Chandler) provokes a fight at a bar to get himself arrested so he can grab some jail time with the suspect/alien that Sheriff Kerry had in custody, John (Pierre) shows up at the station to bail him out. We see that Sheriff Kerry is on the phone with a police commissioner/law enforcement person, ending the call by saying, "Tell Barb I said, Hey." That became a red flag for a lot of fans, who are making the connection that the police commissioner was Gotham's James Gordon, and that "Barb" is a reference to his wife (some believe it's a Barbara Gordon/Batgirl reference, but there are timeline issues with that).

Lanterns
Image: HBO Max Screencap; Lanterns/HBO Max Lanterns Lanterns

In addition, some noted that Sheriff Kerry's full, original name – "Kerry Kane" – meant that she came from a family with some serious roots in Gotham City. Along with the Waynes, the Kanes are one of Gotham's foundational families – and also one of the city's wealthiest and oldest families. Over in the comic book universe, we have a family connection between the Waynes and the Kanes via Bruce Wayne's mother, Martha Wayne (aka Kane), which would make Bruce Wayne and Batwoman (Kate Kane) first cousins. In S01E02: "Trust Fall," there's a moment between Hal and Sheriff Kerry where Hal says he doesn't believe she's from Rushville. After prodding her for more of her backstory, Sheriff Kerry admits that she was originally from Gotham City.

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Macdonald shared how it felt to learn that her character appears to have deeper roots in the DCU than many – including Macdonald – first thought. "It was huge. It was very exciting," Macdonald shared. "It's like finding out you're a Disney princess or something. It's like, 'Oh my God! Gotham!' She's an outsider, as well, and she's been embraced by this small town." In fact, she looked to another series for help with her Gotham accent – something she may have perfected a little too well. "Within the first couple of months of the shoot, as well, I was watching 'The Penguin' at the same time," Macdonald added. "Sometimes I'd been over-watching 'The Penguin,' and I'd be going through my dialogue in my trailer, and I'd realize I was doing the whole Gotham thing. I'd be like, 'Turn it down a little bit,' 'cause I'd been told very specifically, 'She's from Gotham but don't do the accent thing.' She has to be more ambiguous than that. I'm sure you'll be able to tell the scenes where I've been watching 'The Penguin.'"

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Ray FlookAbout Ray Flook

Serving as Television Editor since 2018, Ray began five years earlier as a contributing writer/photographer before being brought onto the core BC team in 2017.
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