Batwoman season 2 has cast its new villain and it’s a good one

Another DC Comics character will be joining Batwoman season 2. British actor Shivaani Ghai is joining the show as a recurring character.

Batwoman season 2 recently begun filming, and now a new cast member has been announced. Deadline reports that British actor Shivaani Ghai is set to appear as Safiyah in The CW show.

Ghai joins the list of British actors making waves in The CWVerse/Arrowverse. With credits on Dominion, EastEnders, and London Has Fallen, she brings a varied resume to Batwoman season 2.

As Javicia Leslie becomes the Scarlet Knight of Gotham, we are set to learn more about season 1 villain Alice (Rachel Skarsten).

Batwoman Season 2: What Do We Know About Safiyah?

The character Safiyah has been historically linked to Kate Kane in the Batwoman comics. But, with Ruby Rose’s exit, the showrunners have had to re-jig Safiyah’s past and her connection to the main characters on the show.

Showrunner Caroline Dries told EW has given Safiyah new life on Batwoman Season 2. In the comics, the character of Safiyah Sohail has appeared as an enigmatic former lover of Kate Kane. On the show, she’s set to be a crucial part of Alice’s past.

Alice, formerly Beth Kane and Kate’s twin sister, was abducted and held captive as a young child. While her captor was killed in the first season, it seems that her murdering ways may have been inspired by someone else.

That someone is Safiyah, the ruler of a small community on the island of Coryana. She’s described as a ‘protective ruler’ who is beloved by her people.

Sometime in the past, Safiyah came into Alice’s life and helped her become the confident killer we meet in Gotham. But, in the present, it seems that Safiyah and Alice’s relationship has undergone a sea-change. It was hinted that Safiyah had Alice’s Wonderland Gang killed.

What caused the rift, and why is Safiyah after Alice, are some of the questions we need to be answered in the next season.

And, since Safiyah also has dealings with criminal organizations in the comics, there’s a high chance Julia Pennyworth (Christina Wolfe) and Sophie Moore’s (Meagan Tandy) clandestine investigation may lead to Safiyah as well.

It looks like Leslie’s Ryan Wilder will be inundated with villains. There are Alice, Safiyah and Thomas Elliot pretending to be Bruce Wayne (Warren Christie). She’s going to need all of Team Batwoman’s help to save the day.

Batwoman Season 2 is set to premiere on The CW in 2021.

Are you excited to learn more about Alice’s past on Batwoman Season 2? Let us know in the comments.