The Arrowverse faced a major hurdle earlier this year when Ruby Rose announced she was stepping down from Batwoman after just one season. We soon found out that Kate Kane will be written out with Rose, and a new character will be brought in to replace her. Fans were suspicious whether this was the right thing to do, so it all depended on who The CW found as the new Crimson Knight. And earlier this evening, they finally confirmed who it is.
Javicia Leslie (God Friended Me) is officially the next woman to don the Caped Crusader’s cowl. And fans are loving it. Social media is already going crazy with excitement, and folks can’t wait to see Leslie make her mark as the new Batwoman.
Some fans were immediately impressed with Leslie’s statement on her casting, in which she discusses her pride at being “the first Black actress” to be Batwoman and, as a bisexual woman, to be joining a show she describes as being “a trailblazer for the LGBTQ+ community.”
“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.” IT’S A YES FOR ME https://t.co/QHxYG64iZQ
— cam 🌻 (@scrofantastic) July 8, 2020
Likewise, there’s a lot of love going around for the fact that the new Batwoman is a person of color.
A POC playing batwoman !!!!!!! Let’s gooooooo I’ll watch to support her https://t.co/ilPJf9aOVJ
— Jr 🐝🇵🇷 (@ohh_thats_Jr) July 8, 2020
Leslie’s casting is already getting people who don’t watch the show considering switching on, too.
https://twitter.com/darlinginmyway/status/1280993544828792834?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Flash and Black Lightning team-up when?
Batwoman is a Black and I’m back onboard for the show. I hope she links up with Flash and Black Lightning in the crossovers.
— 🤖Mr. Robot🫣 (@UptownRoamer) July 8, 2020
No, really… When?
Now ima definitely need the Batwoman/Black Lightning team up 😩 https://t.co/tcUaj0CwdO
— Cam D. Virgo ♍️ (@KillaCJ93) July 8, 2020
Other folks are still loyal to the character of Kate Kane and remain unsure that removing her from the picture is for the best. None the less, they’re willing to give Leslie’s new vigilante a fair trial.
OH WOW.
Ok, sit me down as intrigued here. I’m still not convinced that someone other than Kate Kane should be Batwoman, but with this announcement … well, I’m willing to be convinced. https://t.co/6ljEM5IDaN
— Dr Sarah Hendrica Bickerton 🏳️🌈 (@sarahhbickerton) July 8, 2020
She’s going to be a “killer hero,” apparently.
https://twitter.com/snowyjay/status/1280995570941755393?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
As a leaked character breakdown previously revealed, Javicia Leslie is indeed playing Ryan Wilder, an original creation for the Arrowverse. A former drug-runner evading the law, she’s described as “an out lesbian. Athletic. Raw. Passionate. Fallible. And very much not your stereotypical all-American hero.”
Batwoman season 2 will premiere on The CW in January 2021.