New actor has been cast to lead The CW’s Batwoman Season 2

Javicia Leslie will take on the mantle of the Scarlet Knight in Batwoman Season 2. She replaces Ruby Rose on the Arrowverse show.

Batwoman season 2 has found its new Batwoman!

Earlier this year, Arrowverse fans were shocked to hear about Ruby Rose’s sudden departure from the lead role on the newest show in the franchise. Following the news, showrunner Caroline Dries assured fans that the character of Kate Kane would be replaced with a new, original character taking over as the Scarlet Knight of Gotham City in Batwoman Season 2.

Now, the new protector of the city has been found. The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Javicia Leslie will be playing Ryan Wilder when the show returns in 2021.

The First Black actor to play the role in Batwoman Season 2.

Leslie has starred on in God Friended Me, The Family Business and Always a Bridesmaid. She will be headlining Batwoman Season 2 as the first Black actor to portray the character in a live-action property. Batwoman hasn’t appeared in many DC properties, but the Arrowverse version won over viewers, especially when the character ‘came out’ as lesbian in a CatCo magazine interview.

Leslie is also a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community, making her the second queer actor to headline the series. Leslie will play Ryan Wilder, a younger, messy and wild character who steps into the boots of the superhero, but may not be the ideal candidate to be a hero.

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How will Wilder fit in with the rest of the crew, considering almost the entire cast of characters is somehow connected to Kate Kane? How much will Wilder mould the hero to her personality? One wonders if the character will wear the same outfit and don the red wig and cowl. Perhaps Wilder will give Batwoman a brand new look.

Showrunner Dries had explained that they would be replacing Kate Kane with Ryan Wilder to preserve the work done by Ruby Rose in the first season. She was also adamant not to fall into the ‘bury your gays’ trap by killing off Kate.

Choosing a queer actor of colour to lead the show is a great decision by the showrunners. The Arrowverse has always been diverse, but some of the characters have been pushed to the background or written off their respective shows.

The boldest shows in the Arrowverse have been the ones that started off pushing the boundaries of what’s considered ‘safe’. Supergirl, Black Lightning and Batwoman have taken chances with their character arcs and story choices and it looks like the latter won’t slow down in Batwoman Season 2.

Rose herself took to Instagram to congratulate Leslie on landing the iconic role, adding that she’s looking forward to watching the second season on TV.

How excited are you to see Javicia Leslie take on the lead role in Batwoman Season 2? What changes would you like to see in her version of the character?