Following the surprise departure of Ruby Rose from Batwoman at the end of The CW superhero drama’s first season, the show has opted to create a new character to play Batwoman rather than recast Rose’s charecter of Kate Kane (a cousin of Bruce Wayne). It has now confirmed that actress Javica Leslie has been cast in the lead role from Season 2 and moving forward.

Her previous credits have included a long running charecter on TV show ‘God Friended Me‘ and several films including Roped (2020) and rom-com Always A Bridesmaid (2019).

“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.

Leslie will portray a new character on the show named Ryan Wilder. She is described as likeable, messy, a little goofy and untamed. She’s also nothing like Kate Kane (previously played by Ruby Rose), 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.

Previous star Ruby Rose has praised the casting on her instagram:

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Season 1 is scheduled for an August 18, 2020 release on DVD and Blu-ray. Special features will include deleted scenes, a gag reel, highlights from DCTV’s 2019 San Diego Comic-Con panels, and a behind-the-scenes featurette entitled “On the Set”.

The release will also include a bonus disc with all five episodes of the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event.

Get your copy of Batwoman: Season 1 on Amazon now.