Smallville told the origin of Superman for 10 seasons on The WB, and now Fox is hoping to recreate that magic with Gotham, which will tell the beginnings of not only a very young Bruce Wayne, but plenty of other DC heroes and villains as well.

Commissioner James Gordon is the central character here, though he's not a commissioner yet but just a detective with the Gotham Police Department. With Bruce Wayne just a child of 12 years at the start of the series, it's Gordon who will take on most of Gotham's rising villains, like the Penguin, Catwoman and more. Bruce's parents' murders is also an ongoing and active investigation.

Fox Chairman Kevin Reilly says the show will be chock full of familiar characters, and not "a bunch of characters you've never heard of." He further teases:

It's Gotham teetering on the edge, and we see what makes these characters become who they are… It's an operatic soap that has a slightly larger-than-life quality to it.

As for the Batman, he will not come into existence for a good long while. In fact, Bruce Wayne putting on the cape is projected to be "the end of the series."

Gotham is staffing up now, with scripting set to begin next month. Casting is also underway. Watch out Ben Affleck, there's another Bruce Wayne coming to town.