Sanaa Lathan, who voices Catwoman on Harley Quinn, responds to the controversy surrounding the sex scene cut from the show. The animated series originally aired on the now-defunct streaming service DC Universe in 2019 and quickly caught on for its darker and more adult-oriented take on the iconic DC villainess, voiced by The Big Bang Theory’s Kaley Cuoco. The show has since moved to HBO Max and been renewed for a third season.
Following her breakup with the Joker, Harley Quinn follows its titular character’s misadventures in Gotham with her sidekick Poison Ivy, voiced by Lake Bell. The series features plenty of other DC misfits, including Clayface (Alan Tudyk), King Shark (Ron Funches), Dr. Psycho (Tony Hale), and Sy Borgman (Jason Alexander). The recent controversy surrounding the series began when its head writer and producer Justin Halpern revealed that DC forced him to cut a scene that involved Batman performing oral sex on Catwoman. Zack Snyder was one of the first celebrities to weigh in on the debate, and now one of the show’s cast members is sharing her thoughts.
Talking to ET, Sanaa Lathan, who has voiced Catwoman on Harley Quinn since season 1, responded to the controversy by declaring Catwoman could get whatever she wants from any man.
Catwoman doesn’t worry about what she wants to do. If she wants that from a man, she’s going to get it.
Numerous celebrities have reacted to the scene being cut, including Val Kilmer, who portrayed the Caped Crusader in Batman Forever, Zack Snyder, who directed Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. And Kevin Smith, a well-known comic book personality. Following Kilmer’s somewhat cryptic response, Snyder tweeted that the cut scene was canon, followed by a passionate and expletive-laced rant from Smith on his podcast. Now, Lathan is the first Harley Quinn cast member to weigh in.
Considering Lathan's reaction and the collective uproar that came before it, DC’s decision to cut the scene doesn’t seem too popular, who cited the need to protect Batman's image and sell consumer toys. The decision from DC has started an interesting debate regarding the sexual habits of superheroes, which has always been much more taboo than violence. To illustrate this double standard, look no further than Batfleck's violent rampages in Snyder's Batman v Superman, which DC found permissible, but not a sex scene involving two consenting adults. Perhaps the outrage over Harley Quinn and the comment from its cast member may cause DC to rethink.
Source: ET