Rachel Maddow joins the cast of 'Batwoman'

Rachel Maddow is testing out her acting chops for a role on The CW's Batwoman. Maddow will portray Vesper Fairchild, a television host and radio personality who is romantically tied to Bruce Wayne.

The political commentator joins Ruby Rose, who will be playing the titular character (also known as Kate Kane). However, Maddow herself will not appear onscreen during the upcoming season -- only her voice will be featured as the "sardonic Voice of Gotham," according to a statement from the show's creator, Caroline Dries.

"In addition to Rachel’s interest in Batwoman, we thought she’d be the perfect casting choice because her own hard-hitting journalism wildly contrasts Vesper’s penchant for snark, gossip and criticism of female superheroes," said Dries.

Rachel Maddow has appeared as herself -- the unmistakable, quirky, intelligent liberal political commentator made famous by MSNBC -- in a handful of television universes, including 30 Rock and Ugly Betty to House of Cards.

Maddow's casting on Batwoman, however, is particularly significant. Her show, The Rachel Maddow Show, made Maddow the first lesbian anchor to host a primetime news program in the U.S. back in 2008 when it premiered. Thus, Maddow's inclusion 11 years later on Batwoman, which features the Arrowverse's first lesbian superhero, is a fitting victory lap for representation and visibility in the real world and the DC Comics universe.

Batwoman premieres on The CW on October 6.