There’s a new “Batwoman” in town as Javicia Leslie has been cast in the lead role of the CW series replacing outgoing star Ruby Rose for season 2…
There’s officially a new Batwoman patrolling the streets of Gotham City.
Javicia Leslie — best known for past roles in “God Friended Me” and “The Family Business” — has been cast in the lead role of “Batwoman” on the CW where she replaces outgoing star Ruby Rose, who quit the series back in May.
“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,” Leslie said in a statement.
Instead of simply recasting the role of Kate Kane, Warner Bros. and the producers behind the series decided to create an entirely new character, who will now take up the cape and cowl as Batwoman in season 2.
.@JaviciaLeslie is Gotham's new hero. #Batwoman Season 2 is coming in 2021! pic.twitter.com/XUcy9ItlkS
— Batwoman (@CWBatwoman) July 9, 2020
The new Batwoman is named Ryan Wilder and she’s described 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.”
Rose made the shocking decision to leave the series after the show had already been renewed for season 2. The Australian actress ultimately asked out of her contract, which was later granted by Warner Bros. in a mutual parting of the ways.
Now Leslie will take up the role as a new “Batwoman,” although showrunner Caroline Dries has promised Kate Kane won’t be forgotten. Instead, her disappearance will become a major plot point for season 2 when the show is expected to return in Janaury 2021.
