With the release of Hugo Strange’s monsters, ‘Gotham’ executive producer John Stephens cautions, “The nature of the city of Gotham will change.” One change appears to be the arrival of more villains. ‘Gotham’ will introduce their version of The Mad Hatter and fans will see the evolution of plant-obsessed orphan Ivy Pepper into criminal Poison Ivy. But it turns out that not only will the character undergo this drastic change, but the part will be completely recast.
Clare Foley has portrayed Ivy since the pilot episode, but with the character of Ivy Pepper being bumped up to series regular, Foley is departing the series. No reason was given, so it could be anything from scheduling to a change in creative direction.
Producers are now seeking an actor in her late teens to take over. (I’m not certain how old Foley is, but she appears to be in her earlier teens.) That alone could be the reason for the switch, if the show has decided they want an older, possibly sexier character, in keeping with her comic depictions.
As for those depictions, Poison Ivy’s have been wildly inconsistent over the years. Initially she was a man-hating scientist, she used her beauty to get revenge, using various toxins with hypnotic properties. But she has also been depicted as a half-human/half-plant hybrid with the power to manipulate plant life, and various mixtures of these traits.
Though often shown as a femme fatale with seductive qualities, which she uses to befuddle Batman and other male characters, she also had a lesbian relationship with Harley Quinn.
If the show plans to, in any way, depict their version anywhere along these lines, it’s not surprising they want an older performer portraying her.
Are you excited to see Poison Ivy taking root in ‘Gotham’? What do you think of the recasting?
Source: TV Line
