Javicia Leslie says she felt an immediate connection to Batwoman

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Earlier this year it was revealed that Ruby Rose would be stepping down as the star of Batwoman, and it has since been announced that Javicia Leslie has been tapped to step into the cape and cowl for the upcoming second season. "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.

While speaking with THR, Javicia Leslie said that the significance of becoming the first Black Batwoman isn't lost on her. "This really had nothing to do with me and everything to do with my people and with little Black girls," Leslie said, who is a lifelong Batman fan and found her own positive representation through Earth Kitt's Catwoman in the '60s series. When it came time to audition for the role (via Zoom), Leslie said that she felt an immediate connection to the new Batwoman, as both she and the character share a "quirky but 'I'm a boss if I have to be' type of mentality." The new Batwoman goes by the name of Ryan Wilder, and the character has been 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. She is an out lesbian, athletic, raw, passionate, fallible, and very much not your stereotypical All-American hero." Production on the new season of Batwoman hasn't yet begun, but Leslie is in the process of getting into Batwoman shape.

I’m very active in my personal life, so being able to allow that to be my work, that’s heaven for me. I do Muay Thai. I do fitness training. I run. Anything that’s active I’m always down for, so this is going to be like playing on the playground every day. I’ve just been taking this little bit of time we have left, exercising, getting back in shape, getting my adrenaline and my momentum back up, enjoying time with family and friends while I can before work starts.

The CW's Arrowverse has been around for quite some time, so Leslie said that taking on the role of Batwoman is sure to be "a great beginning to what I'm sure will be a very long journey."