Things are heating up over at the CW now that British actress Shivaani Ghai (DOMINION, THE CATCH) has landed a recurring role opposite Javicia Leslie on BATWOMAN. Ghai will step into the role of Safiyah, a character who was referenced several times in the show's first season. As the fiercely protective ruler of a small community on the island of Coryana, Safiya is labeled as a woman with as many enemies as aliases. She is compassionate and charismatic with both physical and psychological prowess. She is beloved by her people and will stop at nothing to protect what’s hers. No one goes unnoticed by Safiyah, specifically when it comes to those who have encountered the Desert Rose.
Though her character was teased as a part of the first season, BATWOMAN showrunner Caroline Dries previously explained to TVLine why fans have had to wait until season two to witness her in the flesh. “I didn’t want to bring her on in Season 1 because I think she would have gotten lost with Hush and all the cool stuff we were doing with Batwoman coming into her own, and obviously Batwoman and Alice. So we just hinted at her. But now that we’ve established her as a person that Alice is terrified of, I’m excited to bring her in as the Big Bad, at least from Alice’s point of view, because she’s the one person, we’ll find out, knows how Alice’s mind works and is able to manipulate her.”
When Leslie swings onto BATWOMAN for its sophomore season, she'll do so as a new character named Ryan Wilder. Described as "likable, messy, a little goofy and untamed," Wilder will become the show's new Batwoman, succeeding Ruby Rose’s Kate Kane.
If you're looking to learn more about Safiya and her ties to Batwoman be sure to read DC's Batwoman run by James Tynion IV and Marguerite Bennett. Not only is the story in this set of issues engaging and perhaps a little bit steamy, portions of it include stellar artwork by Stephanie Hans, one of my favorite comic book artists of all time.
The CW's BATWOMAN is expected to return to the airwaves in January of next year.