Fox announced on Monday that the network picked up the Batman prequel series Gotham.

The move was widely expected, according to The Hollywood Reporter, due to a series commitment the network agreed to, which would have resulted in a huge penalty if Fox passed on Gotham.

The Ben McKenzie-led drama is the third new drama series order made by Fox for the upcoming season, with the Rain Wilson vehicle Backstrom and Hieroglyph being the other two.

Back during the Television Critics Association Tour, Fox chairman Kevin Reilly explained Gotham would follow the characters up until Bruce Wayne was old enough to don the Batman moniker. "The show will track Bruce from a child (around 12 years old) until he puts on a cape (in the finale)," he said.

McKenzie was cast as the lead role of James Gordon before he becomes the police commissioner. Others cast in the drama include Donal Logue as Harvey Bullock, Cory Michael Smith as the Riddler, Camren Bicondova as Catwoman, Jada Pinkett Smith as Fish Mooney, David Mazouz as Wayne among many others.

Gotham will follow McKenzie when he is just a simple cop on the Gotham police force and have many of the comic's classic villains, including the Riddler, Penguin and others.

image from Twitter via Ben McKenzie