Gotham’s symbol of hope is poised to take flight, as The CW has formally announced plans to develop a standalone Batwoman series in tandem with DC mastermind Greg Berlanti.
Per Deadline, The Vampire Diaries alum Caroline Dries has agreed to write and executive produce the female-fronted TV show, with the intention of dramatically expanding the small-screen universe. And knocking down a few outdated superhero paradigms in the process.
For Batwoman revolves around Kate Kane, who, “armed with a passion for social justice and flair for speaking her mind, soars onto the streets of Gotham as Batwoman, an out lesbian and highly trained street fighter primed to snuff out the failing city’s criminal resurgence. But don’t call her a hero yet: in a city desperate for a savior, Kate must overcome her own demons before embracing the call to be Gotham’s symbol of hope.”
She’ll be introduced to viewers during December’s DC crossover event, in which the characters of Arrow, The Flash and Supergirl typically come together in epic fashion. There’s currently no mention of who will be playing Kate Kane, but we understand The CW is on the verge of sending out a casting call as its Batwoman adaptation begins to take shape.
Should the fledgling drama earn a series order, it would join fellow Arrowverse properties like Legends of Tomorrow and Black Lightning, while Greg Berlanti has also been busy overseeing Titans and Doom Patrol in anticipation of DC Universe, the premium streaming service due to go live this fall.
Circling back to Batwoman, though, and this is a landmark announcement for a comic series that helped bring LGBTQ+ representation into the limelight. So it’s only fitting that The CW’s planned TV adaptation has a chance of boasting the first openly gay lead character — male or female — on a live-action superhero series.