Jeffrey Wright is a name that most people finally know. The 55-year old actor has the makings of an EGOT from his role as Belize in the Broadway production and HBO miniseries of Angels in America, as well as a recurring role in Daniel Craig’s 007 films, but has largely flown under the mainstream radar for decades. Thankfully, new roles in the MCU and DECU are starting to change that.
Wright’s performance as The Watcher in Disney Plus’ animated Marvel series What If..? has garnered praise and his upcoming role as Police Commissioner James W. Gordon in Matt Reeves’ The Batman is shaping up to be an interesting turn as one of Batman’s allies. But before Wright leaped comic book film and television, he was captivating viewers in HBO’s science-fiction Western series Westworld, portraying an unassuming character that turned out to be one of the most vital in the show.
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Westworld is an adaptation of the 1973 film of the same name, set in a futuristic Wild-West theme park where android “hosts” work as actors for wealthy guests’ amusement. Created by Jonathan Nolan (brother of Christopher) and Lisa Joy, Westworld explores themes such as technology vs. humanity and what exactly makes something human. Wright plays Bernard Lowe, the head of Westworld’s Programming Division. Lowe spends his time working on hosts — in particular Dolores Abernathy (Evan Rachel Wood). Lowe is one of the first characters introduced in the series and acts as an initial guide for the viewers as they go from inside the park to inside the facilities that run it. He is also a close confidant for Dr. Ford (an amazing performance by Anthony Hopkins), the Park Director and co-founder of Westworld.
At first, Bernard Lowe seems like another cog in the machine that is Westworld, but his humanity is what sets him apart. He has his own reasons for working at the park and truly cares about the hosts he works on, deeply interested in how they see the world and their place within it. This is perfectly showcased in the numerous sessions he has with Dolores after the park has closed for the night. Bernard brings her books and asks her questions about her life.
Lowe spends the first season of the series trying to fix the problem of sentience in the hosts — who begin lashing out at guests — but ends it with the inkling that his employers are not who they seem, and neither is he. The episodes that follow have him undergo major character development relating to his past, his true identity, and what his path going forward should be. It’s during these seasons that Bernard becomes more than viewers ever imagined he could be, strong, capable, and a little frightening.
Wright’s character in Westworld is actually quite similar to his current role in the MCU. What If…? has the actor voicing the highly knowledgable Uatu the Watcher, who observes the cosmos, much like Lowe watches over the hosts in Westworld. The Watcher is the guide for viewers into the alternate universes of What If..?, using narration to keep them in the loop. The first season of Westworld has Bernard handling a considerable part of the narrative, even doing a few voiceover moments. Most importantly, The Watcher has an air of mystery around him, just like Bernard Lowe does. If Wright’s Westworld character can be used as a hint, it could be possible that The Watcher still has a few hidden secrets about the multiverse up his sleeve, even if he doesn’t interfere as he claims.
It could be good to use Wright’s role as Bernard to speculate about his newest role in The Batman. Wright will be playing James W. Gordon, the Police Commissioner for the city of Gotham. In most iterations of the character, Gordon and the Dark Knight have a complicated but ultimately good relationship. Gordon doesn’t fully approve of Batman’s tactics, but eventually, they work together and grow to trust one another. With the role of Bernard under his bet, Wright will have no problem playing a skeptical but loyal ally to Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne.
But in this dark reimaging of the iconic vigilante, it might be best not to rely on what fans have grown to expect from the character — and instead think of how Commissioner Gordon could be flipped on his head or be so much more than he lets on. Regardless, Wright will have some pretty big shoes to fill after Gary Oldman’s portrayal of the cop in The Dark Knight trilogy and J.K Simmons’ in Justice League. But until then, fans can tune into Westworld to get to know the actor better and prepare themselves for what’s to come.
Westworld seasons 1-3 can be streamed on HBO Max.
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