Doom Patrol is upping its supply of eccentric baddies with a new series regular. The HBO Max show's upcoming 3rd season will feature none other than Michelle Gomez, who made waves in recent years for her gleefully sadistic portrayal of Missy/The Master during the Peter Capaldi era of Doctor Who.
Gomez will play the villainous Madame Rouge, an interesting spin on an antagonist with a connection to Timothy Dalton's Niles Caulder character. The twist is that she has a bit of trouble remembering her own wicked motivations. As if the casting choice wasn't already on point, the original character from the comics was known for battling with a Gollum-like split personality and even changing her appearance.
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Rouge had regular interactions with the Doom Patrol team in the comic version of the story, earning notoriety as the only female member of the subtly-named Brotherhood of Evil. The organization served as archenemies to the original Doom Patrol as well as the Teen Titans (also featured on HBO Max's Titans, which has its own upcoming 3rd season), making her inclusion into the DC and HBO Max series a fitting choice. Rouge's split personality results in a regular battle between her good and evil sides, and combined with her disguise and shapeshifting abilities, they make her a substantial opponent for the scrappy team of superhero misfits.
Gomez wowed audiences with her performance on Doctor Who, but she has more recently shown up on Netflix's The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina as Lilith/Madam Satan and Mary Wardwell. Her other latest credits include a run on the HBO Max series The Flight Attendant and even an episode of the current DuckTales reboot. Her time on Doctor Who earned attention not only for her performance (which some think should have even earned her a spin-off) but also for her character's status as the first official female incarnation of The Master, a longtime nemesis of The Doctor. So, there's another thematic connection between roles.
Doom Patrol is known for being a very different and fresh take on the superhero genre, with audiences and critics alike praising its wit and weirdness alike. Adding Gomez to the cast not only seems to fit the overall feel of the series but might even serve to give it a further air of legitimacy after already being boosted by well-known veteran actors like Dalton and The Mummy star Brendan Fraser, who seems to be making his own well-deserved comeback. It may never reach the heights of popularity that other superhero shows and movies have in recent years, but for its faithful fans who celebrate the series' unorthodox style, that's probably a good thing.
While DC and HBO Max haven't confirmed a premiere date for Doom Patrol's 3rd season, this casting news should certainly up the anticipation factor for those eager for more. Knowing the series remains committed to the unusual should make the wait that much more agonizing, and yet all the sweeter.
Doom Patrol's first 2 seasons are available to stream on HBO Max.
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Source: TVLine