After a few months of fear and turmoil, the nightmare has officially come to an end. The CW has found their new Batwoman in Javicia Leslie.
Leslie is known for her role in “God Friended Me” on CBS. Leslie will now be officially donning the cape and cowl as the mysterious, yet fresh, original character, Ryan Wilder.
“Ryan is likable, messy, a little goofy and untamed, and the complete opposite of Kate. With no one in her life to keep her on track, Ryan spent years as a drug runner, dodging the Gotham City Police Department 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. One thing to report is that Leslie did speak some thoughts on the role and direction of the series now that the role of the lead has been filled. From ET Leslie said in a statement “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,”
The official character description of Ryan Wilder
Even though the network was forced to head in a new direction for season two, ‘Batwoman’ will retain most, if not all, the values the first season was predicated on.
Batwoman was the first prime-time show to feature, and elevate, a lesbian superhero at the helm. Most from Batwoman’s cast and crew have stated the shows core principals will not be changed in this new season.
The plans of the second season had to be changed due to Ruby Rose’s departure from the role of Kate Kane. Rose exited the role back in late May.
Of course many don’t know what caused the schism between the network and Rose however, both felt and agreed it was a mutual split. Fellow cast-member Camrus Johnson spoke about the surprise exit of Rose.
He assured fans on twitter, “We have a season 2. We will work our freaking butts off to give you an amazing season 2 that continues to represent the lgbtqa+ communities and people of color. We will keep going strong. Believe that”.
The Batwoman team thought it was only natural and fair if they stayed true to the tale of Kate Kane. Executive producer, Caroline Dries, spoke on the departure of Rose back on June 10. Dries explained that she felt it was written to leave Kate’s fate as a mystery and a driving force for the extent of season two.
I’m excited to see what Leslie does with the role and how the introduction and placement of new character, Ryan Wilder will do with the chemistry of the cast, and complexity of the narrative.
A new Batwoman has been crowned and the citizens of Gotham and the Arrowverse can sleep good tonight knowing the Bat is back in town.
The CW also announced that ‘Superman and Lois’ will be doing a crossover with ‘Batwoman’ when both shows return in January 2021. The only thing we, as fans, can do is wait till DC Fandome emerges on August 22.
Fans will be anxiously awaiting to see Leslie suited up for the first time as the scarlet knight prowling the streets of Gotham City.
Batwoman season 2 is officially slated to return Sundays at 8pm EST/7pm CT starting in January 2021. Season one can be found on The CW and HBO Max.
