In news that we can only assume is seconds away from generating some well-intentioned but irritating tweets about who the “real” superheroes in society are, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow announced tonight that she is, somewhat bizarrely, a low-key member of the cast of The CW’s upcoming Batwoman show. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Maddow will be playing Gotham gossip journalist Vesper Fairchild in the latest Arrowverse entry, albeit solely in a vocal role. (There are no plans at present for the character to appear in the flesh.)
This isn’t the first time Maddow, an avowed fan of the character, has intersected with the world of Batwoman Kate Kane; she previously wrote an introduction for a hardcover collection of part of Greg Rucka’s Batwoman comic series. It is, though, her first time acting in the role of a character; she’s got several credits to her name (including on 30 Rock, The Simpsons, and House Of Cards), but they’ve all been “Rachel Maddow” roles. Per showrunner Caroline Dries, the character of Vesper, “the Voice of Gotham,” is deliberately un-Maddow like: “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.” (That being said, we can’t wait for the episode where Vesper spends an entire hour slowly, pointlessly teasing out Bruce Wayne’s tax returns.)
It’s not clear how many episodes of Batwoman Maddow has been tapped to verbally show up in, although THR confirms that it’s more than one. The show debuts this Sunday on The CW.