Gotham’s Poison Ivy to be Recast

With a long wait until Gotham season 3 will premiere this fall there is plenty of time for speculation of what the new season will bring. One major story line that is bringing a lot of speculation is the move to re-cast Ivy. Clare Foley had been the actress portraying the character sporadically throughout the past two seasons. Gotham will be looking to replace her with older actress who can pull off a more mature Ivy.

This along with the news that Ivy has been cast as a season 3 regular has led to speculation as to why her character would need this change. The most obvious reason would be the filming regulations that limit a 14 year old actress more then it will for someone that is 18 or older. They will be able to work her into more episodes without having to worry  about filming time.

While the filming time may play a role in the decision this obviously has implications for the character itself as well. What may be most interesting to see is how a more mature Ivy is explained within the show itself. Ivy’s character should not become a villain (Poison Ivy) for several more years if they follow the comic book story whatsoever. This has left Gotham fans scratching their heads as to what Ivy’s increased role could mean.

Next: Gotham: Penguin In Season 3

The prevailing theory seems to be that along with more flexible filming abilities an older Ivy may give them the ability to have her deal with mature situations a younger actress could not. While this could be part of the reason for the decision I believe the main reason was to find a more intriguing version of the character. Ivy has been downplayed as Selina Kyle’s creepy friend and she hasn’t played a major role in any important story lines. Sure she has had her moments but she is lacking the recognizable charisma that other characters have had.  Almost every villain within Gotham has been intriguing and for the most part recognizable. While Ivy may be recognizable there has been very little that is either interesting or intriguing about her character. This change could be the boost her character needed to become one of the better villains/characters in Gotham. We should hear more as we get closer to the season 3 premiere this fall.

h/t CinemaBlend