From "House of Cards" to "Homeland," actress Elizabeth Marvel has developed a knack for portraying powerful female roles on screen. It was recently revealed that the 46-year-old actress is joining the cast of "Homeland" Season 6 as the President of the United States.
Marvel is taking on the role of Elizabeth Kane, the former Democrat New York senator who rose up the ranks to become president-elect. The character is described as a "natural politician" who's bright, charming, lively and blunt at the same time.
"Homeland" viewers will recognize Marvel in "House of Cards" where she plays the headstrong Heather Dunbar, who also ran for the presidency. She also previously appeared in "Fargo" and "True Grit."
"Homeland" Season 6 picks up several months after Carrie Mathison's (Claire Danes) return to America. Deadline reported that Carrie is now living in Brooklyn and working at a foundation aimed at providing aid and assistance to Muslims living in the U.S.
To mirror the current events in the country, "Homeland" Season 6 is set at the time of the U.S. presidential election, following the events between Election Day and the inauguration.
"There is this strange period in America where there are 72 days when it's not exactly clear who's in charge, and there is a new president that needs to be educated on what it means to be president," producer Alex Gansa teased. "It's a dangerous time in our democracy."
Having a female Democrat as president raises speculation that "Homeland" Season 6 is making a reference to Hillary Clinton, but Danes clarified that Marvel's character is not solely based on Clinton.
According to Variety, Danes added that President Kane "challenges that norms [and] is a little scary for that reason." It was also revealed that the President and Carrie will get along pretty well in "Homeland" Season 6.
The drama will portray the conflicts and controversies during the transitional period in government, when a new president steps in. With that said, "Homeland" Season 6 will definitely be filled with a lot of power games centered on competing interests.