While its initial run has proven divisive among some comic book fans, Fox is doubling down on Gotham, ordering an extra batch of episodes for season 1 and continuing to cast pivotal characters in the Batman mythology. And with more and more deranged criminals appearing on the scene with each week, it’s been assumed that Arkham Asylum’s importance to the story would be growing. Now, one of the asylum’s top minds from the DC Comics source material has been cast, with Morena Baccarin (Firefly, Homeland) announced to be playing ‘Dr. Leslie Thompkins.’
Baccarin will be no stranger to the genre television audience, having made her name on Joss Whedon’s Firefly before she joined the cast of Stargate SG-1, V, and others. But the actress will be best known outside of fan circles for her recent run on the acclaimed Showtime series Homeland. It’s unclear which of those roles caught the eye of Gotham‘s showrunners, but with a brief stint on Bruno Heller’s The Mentalist to boot, her addition to the cast makes sense for a number of reasons.
The announcement comes courtesy of Deadline, who describe this take on Dr. Leslie Thompkins as “a gifted and dedicated physician who was a friend of Bruce Wayne’s parents, Thomas and Martha.” Like her comic book counterpart, Thompkins puts her skills to work on the inmates of Arkham Asylum – newly upgraded as part of the shaky deal in place between Gotham’s mayor and its two biggest crime families.
I have some more thoughts about the most recent episode of Gotham.. where it appears to be a complete copy of another show no longer on the air… you tell me! I’ll post it soon.
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