Gotham Casts Ivana Milicevic as Selina Kyle’s Mother

Ivana Milicevic of Banshee has been cast on Gotham, playing Selina Kyle’s (Camren Bicondova) extranged mother Maria, WBTV and FOX announced via TVLine. The actress and character will debut in the first half of the season, so between now and December.

Maria Kyle’s character description reads: “a tough-as-nails operator with an arsenal of street smarts,” world-class drifter who’s able to hide her true self behind a variety of personas. A “criminal through and through,” she is willing to use anything and anyone to get what she wants. Her one weakness, however, is the daughter she abandoned — and the only person in the world she truly loves.”

So despite abandoning Selina, she loves her. Sure, that’ll make Selina feel better! She’s previously talked about her mother and abandonment issues, as recently as this season, so don’t expect this reunion to be sunshine and lollipops (as nothing on Gotham ever is to begin with).

Coincidentally, Milicevic played a jewel thief on Banshee, so maybe we’ll find out that Selina and momma Maria have some proclivity for pilfering in common. She also has a recurring role on Power, and has guest starred on several other TV series.

Selina has become a much more central character this season on Gotham, hanging out at the Sirens club that seems to be a focal point for the underworld of Gotham City, and striking up a romantic relationship with Bruce Wayne (after growing close to his strange doppelganger).

“They’re not pre-teens anymore; they’re becoming young men and women,” Bicondova told Comicbook.com during a set visit. “She’s definitely weirded out by it, because she’s starting to feel certain emotions that she’s never felt before. She’s just overwhelmed by the different emotions that are happening.”

Add to that her mother’s return, and things will only get more complicated. Bicondova also said that Selina will continue to explore “a grey area of good and bad,” and that will lead her “down a darker path.” How much her mother’s presence has to do with that particular turn remains to be seen, but with such a major moment, it’s easy to see it having influence.

Returning family members are a recurring theme on Gotham. Last season, Paul Reubens joined the cast as Oswald Cobblepot’s estranged father – but it didn’t end up going so well for them to be reunited. Oswald’s daddy dearest is now dearly departed, which caused Oswald to snap back into the Penguin persona and go on quite the murderous rampage. Hopefully Maria Kyle doesn’t meet the same fate (or drive her daughter the same way).

Gotham airs Monday nights at 8 p.m. on FOX.