Rachel Maddow Cast in ‘Batwoman’ at The CW

Will Thorne

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The CW’s new “Batwoman” series sent up the signal for someone to play a radio personality with a “penchant for snark,” and Rachel Maddow answered the call.

The MSNBC host has been cast in the role of Vesper Fairchild, who is described as a TV and radio figure who once had a romantic relationship with Bruce Wayne. The news comes only two days before the show premieres. It seems that Maddow will not in fact appear on screen, but that her appearance will be purely in a voice role capacity.

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“We consider Vesper Fairchild to be the sardonic Voice of Gotham. In addition to Rachel’s interest in ‘Batwoman,’ we thought she’d be the perfect casting choice because her own hard-hitting journalism wildly contrasts Vesper’s penchant for snark, gossip, and criticism of female superheroes,” said “Batwoman” showrunner Caroline Dries of Maddow’s casting.

The show has undergone a little scrutiny recently, after lead actress Ruby Rose revealed that she underwent emergency surgery several months ago after she herniated two discs while performing a stunt on the “Batwoman” set. Rose’s titular heroine (a.k.a. Kate Kane) is described an out lesbian and highly trained fighter who has no trouble speaking her mind.

In her review of the show, Variety critic Caroline Framke commented that Rose is “at her best when Kate gets to be a little fun and snarky.” However, Framke also deemed that the pilot episode contained too much plot and not enough of those more endearing moments.

“If “Batwoman” is going to continue to stand out among the pack, it will lean into what makes it different (namely: Kate) rather than Gotham politics as usual,” Framke wrote.

The Hollywood Reporter first reported Maddow’s casting.

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