Shortly after its first season ended, series lead Ruby Rose exited The CW's Batwoman. Rose's Kate Kane will be replaced by a character named Ryan Wilder, and over a month following the actor's departure, Batwoman has found its new series lead!
The official Warner Bros. TV Twitter confirmed the news, revealing that God Friended Me star Javicia Leslie has been cast as the new lead going into the second season. "I am extremely proud to be the first Black actress to play the iconic role of Batwoman on television," Leslie said in a statement. "And as a bisexual woman, I am honored to join this groundbreaking show, which has been such a trailblazer for the LGBTQ+ community."
Leslie will step into the cape and cowl as Ryan Wilder, which CW describes as "nothing" like Kate Kane. She's "likable, messy, a little goofy, and untamed," with no one to keep her on track, she spent her years as a drug-runner and masked her pain with bad habits. She now lives in her van with a plant and is even willing to steal milk for an alley cat and can kill you with her bare hands. Wilder is highly skilled and wildly undisciplined which essentially makes her the "most dangerous type of fighter." She's not "your stereotypical all-American hero," who's an out lesbian, athletic, passionate, raw, and fallible.
Fans are excited about what Leslie will bring to the table, and so is former Batwoman actor Rose who took to Instagram to congratulate Leslie. The actor says she's glad that Batwoman "will be played by an amazing Black woman" and tells the new series lead that she's "walking into an amazing cast and crew."
Leslie's credits also include the BET drama series The Family Business and 2019 film Always a Bridesmaid.
Batwoman is set to return with new episodes in January of 2021.
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