Earlier this summer, Ruby Rose announced her departure from Batwoman after only a single season. However, The CW will not recast Kate Kane. Instead, a new character named Ryan Wilder is taking up the mantle of the Bat. Now, via EW, Javicia Leslie has been cast as Ryan/Batwoman in the upcoming second season. She most recently appeared in CBS’ God Friended Me. Leslie also had roles in MacGyver and Always a Bridesmaid.
“I am extremely proud to be the first Black actress to play the iconic role of Batwoman on television, and as a bisexual woman, I am honored to join this groundbreaking show which has been such a trailblazer for the LGBTQ+ community,” said Leslie in a statement.
“As a lesbian who’s been working as a writer for the past fifteen years, I’m well aware of the ‘Bury Your Gays’ trope and I have no interest in participating in it,” added Batwoman showrunner Caroline Dries. “That’s why it’s important to me as the showrunner to clarify any misinformation out there about Kate Kane and recasting Batwoman. Like you, I love Kate Kane — she’s the reason I wanted to do the show. We’ll never erase her. In fact, her disappearance will be one of the mysteries of season two. I don’t want to give away any of our surprises, but to all our devoted fans, please know that LGBTQ+ justice is at the very core of what Batwoman is and we have no intention of abandoning that.”
RELATED: Batwoman Showrunner Shoots Down Rumor About Kate Kane’s Fate
Previously, The CW has described Leslie’s new character as “likable, messy, a little goofy and untamed. She’s also nothing like Kate Kane, the woman who wore the Batsuit before her. With no one in her life to keep her on track, Ryan spent years as a drug-runner, dodging the GCPD and masking her pain with bad habits. Today Ryan lives in her van with her plant. A girl who would steal milk for an alley cat and could also kill you with her bare hands, Ryan is the most dangerous type of fighter: highly skilled and wildly undisciplined. An out lesbian. Athletic. Raw. Passionate. Fallible. And very much not your stereotypical All-American hero.”
Batwoman season 2 is expected to premiere in early 2021.
What do you think about Javicia Leslie as the new Batwoman? Let us know in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: Batwoman by Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III
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