Rachel Maddow will soon be appearing on Sunday night TV in addition to her usual weeknight gig—or at least her voice will. The MSNBC host has joined The CW’s Batwoman, playing Vesper Fairchild, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
However, Maddow won’t actually be seen onscreen in the new superhero series, which premieres Sunday. For the time being, only her voice will be heard.
“We consider Vesper Fairchild to be the sardonic Voice of Gotham,” Batwoman showrunner Caroline Dries told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement. “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.”
“My character is soooo not me; turns out playing her is one of the most fun things I’ve ever done,” tweeted Maddow, whose voice will be heard in multiple Batwoman episodes.
I know no one’s going to believe this is true, but it’s true.
I’m “Vesper Fairchild” in the new Batwoman TV show that starts this Sunday night on The CW.
(My character is soooo not me; turns out playing her is one of the most fun things I’ve ever done).https://t.co/LP8PauXvUL
— Rachel Maddow MSNBC (@maddow) October 4, 2019
In the Batman comics, Fairchild is a TV and radio personality who was romantically involved with Bruce Wayne (aka Batman). However, Bruce Wayne is MIA in Batwoman: as the show premieres, he and Batman have left Gotham three years earlier. Kate Kane, played by Ruby Rose, takes over as the city’s Caped Crusader.