Even though much of the talk following Gotham‘s series finale has had to do with the emergence of Batman and the costume he wore – and rightfully so – another hot topic has been discussed at length on social media. And in case you were unable to figure it out, we’re referring to the recasting of Selina Kyle.
If you’d been following the prequel series, then you’re aware of how Camren Bicondova had been playing the would-be Catwoman since the very beginning. But when it came time for the finale, some viewers were somewhat put off to find that Lili Simmons had taken her place for the flash forward.
Knowing about this situation, The Hollywood Reporter asked executive producer and showrunner John Stephens exactly what was up, and here’s how he responded:
“Recasting Selina for the finale was really a decision driven by Cam. We talked a lot about what the finale was going to be, who Selina would be 10 years on, and she felt that she had played Selina as a character from 13-18 years old, and she didn’t feel that she wanted to play her at 28. And so we respected her POV and went around looking for someone who both could fill the role and hopefully would bear some similarity to Cam and by a stroke of incredible good fortune we got Lili Simmons who is an incredible actress and looks like she could be Cam’s sister.”
There you have it: Bicondova didn’t leave the series earlier than expected, and she seemingly had input regarding her character’s final destination. To Stephens’ credit, Lili Simmons really did resemble Camren enough to where I believed it was the same person, only ten years later.
If I were to have any complaint, it’d be that Selina wasn’t actually Catwoman in the finale. She may have been a costumed cat burglar, sure, but her lack of cat ears forces me to believe that more ridiculous restrictions had been placed on the producers and what they could do. Believe it or not, there’s been mention of a Selina spinoff, though it’s highly recommended you not hold your breath.
Gotham: The Complete Fifth Season arrives on Blu-ray on July 9th.