The CW taps Javicia Leslie to be the new Batwoman

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

It seems that The CW has found their new Batwoman. Just several months after it was revealed that Ruby Rose would be stepping down as the star of the series, it's 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.

Javicia Leslie won't be stepping into the role of Kate Kane, the role played by Ruby Rose, but a new character by the name of Ryan Wilder. 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." Although Kate Kane will no longer be serving as Batwoman when the series returns, series showrunner Caroline Dries has previously assured fans that Kane would not be killed off, particularly as she doesn't want to add to "Bury Your Gays" trope which is all too prevalent.

As a lesbian who’s been working as a writer for the past 15 years, I’m well aware of the ‘Bury Your Gays’ trope and I have no interest in participating in it. Like you, I Love Kate Kane…We’ll never erase her. In fact, her disappearance will be one of the mysteries of Season 2.

Ruby Rose took to Instagram upon learning of Leslie's casting, saying, "OMG!! This is amazing!! I am so glad Batwoman will be played by an amazing Black woman. I want to congratulate Javicia Leslie on taking over the bat cape. You are walking into an amazing cast and crew. I can’t wait to watch season 2 you are going to be amazing!!" Javicia Leslie has been seen in MacGyver, The Family Business, and God Friended Me. Batwoman is still expected to return in early 2021.