So, did the casting decision come down to a flip of a coin?
The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that the new Fox series Gotham has cast Nicholas D'Agosto in the role of Harvey Dent, who eventually becomes the Batman villain Two-Face. The role will be recurring during the show's first season.
According to the article, Dent is "Bright, charming and idealistic, Harvey Dent's sole mission is to eradicate the crime and corruption that has poisoned Gotham. He is described as appealing, energetic and full of light and life, even while taking on the worst Gotham has to offer. Though he one day serves as the white knight Gotham desperately needs, Harvey also shows glimpses of who he will become: Two-Face."
The 34-year-old actor currently stars as Dr. Ethan Haas on the Showtime series Masters of Sex and appeared as West Rosen on the NBC series Heroes. In addition, D'Agosto starred in the movie Final Destination 5 and has had roles on the television series The Office, Without a Trace, Supernatural, House and Six Feet Under.
Created in 1942 by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, Harvey Dent debuted in the very first Two-Face story in Detective Comics (vol.1) #66. When "Boss" Maroni was put on trial for the murder of the murder of a man named "Bookie" Benson, Gotham City district attorney Harvey Dent served as prosecutor. Batman provided testimony at the trial, but Maroni called Batman a liar, leading Dent to show evidence of Maroni's lucky two-headed silver dollar that was found at the murder scene with Maroni's fingerprints on it. Enraged, Maroni hurled a small vial of acid at Dent, horribly disfiguring the left side of Dent's handsome face and transforming him into the insane gangster Two-Face.
In the current New 52 continuity, Dent is a successful defense attorney whose clientele includes twin sisters from the McKillen crime family, Shannon and Erin, until they place a contract on James Gordon and his entire family, despite Dent's protestations. The Gordons survive the attempt on their lives, but Dent, trapped by attorney client confidentiality, is unable to discourage the McKillens from continuing their lethal vendetta. The violent attempt on the Gordons' lives prompts Bruce Wayne to use his resources to initiate and fund Dent's campaign for district attorney. Dent becomes D.A. and has the McKillen sisters prosecuted and sentenced to life in prison. After Shannon commits suicide, Erin escapes by switching places with her sister's corpse. Blaming Dent for her sister's death, Erin breaks into Dent's house, kills Gilda in front of him, and pours acid on his face, transforming him into Two-Face.
D'Agosto will be the fourth actor to portray Harvey Dent/Two-Face in live-action, after Billy Dee Williams in the 1989 film Batman, Tommy Lee Jones in the 1995 film Batman Forever and Aaron Eckhart in the 2008 film The Dark Knight. The character has also appeared several times in animation, including Batman: The Animated Series (voiced by Richard Moll), Batman: The Brave and the Bold (voiced by James Remar), Beware the Batman (voiced by Christopher McDonald), Batman: Year One (voiced by Robin Atkin Downes), and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (voiced by Wade Williams).