Batwoman showrunner reveals what would have happened in season 4 – if the show hadn't been canceled

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Exclusive: The season would have put Ryan Wilder in charge of a post-apocalyptic Gotham, Caroline Dries tells SFX

Ryan Wilder
(Image credit: The CW)

Batwoman showrunner Caroline Dries has revealed the plans she had for Batwoman season 4 before the series was canceled.

The popular show was among the many shows canceled by The CW, including Legacies and Riverdale, as part of a major content refocus. Speaking to SFX magazine in the new issue, featuring Umbrella Academy on the cover, Dries says there were several storylines she had planned for the fourth season – including the aftermath of the Joker's acid bomb attack in the season three finale.

"I wanted there to be real ramifications for that," she explains. "I wanted it to be almost post-apocalyptic, as Ryan is now one of the few left taking care of her city."

After Kate Kane goes missing following a plane crash, Ryan Wilder finds the suit near the crash site and, determined to avenge the death of her mother, dons the suit and becomes the new Batwoman. Javicia Leslie was promoted to lead after Ruby Rose's season 1 exit, thus making Ryan the first-ever queer black superhero leading a series.

"I wanted her to totally represent the hero of the city, as she's proven to herself that she's capable of being Batwoman," Dires says. "She has everything: a biological family and her Bat family. Now, how does she literally save her city from a Chernobyl situation?"

Dries had also hoped to revive the fan-favorite Poison Ivy (Bridget Regan) / Renee Montoya (Victoria Cartagena) storyline, which she says was "just really intense and relatable." She also wanted to shine the spotlight on Ryan and Sophie's (Meagan Tandy) love story, but was happy with the way it was handled in season 3.

Though the show has ended, Dries feels believes Ryan's story is far from over. "I think as long as the Arrowverse is alive, then Ryan Wilder and Batwoman are alive. Time will tell."

For more, be sure to pick up the new issue of SFX Magazine, which you can order through that link. And if you don't want to miss out on anything SFX, make sure to sign up to the newsletter, sending all the latest exclusives straight to your inbox.

Tara Bennett
Freelance Writer

Tara is the NYT bestselling author (or co-author) of 30 movie and TV companion books including the upcoming official history of Marvel Studios. She's also a freelance journalist with bylines at print and online publications such as: SCI FI Magazine, Total Film, SYFY Wire, Today.com, Fandom, Fandango/Movies.com, Fancast, Newsarama, Star Wars: Insider, Walking Dead Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, LOST: The Official Magazine, Alias Magazine, 24 Magazine, and VFXWorld.com. She is also the U.S. Editor for the world’s premiere sci-fi/fantasy publication, SFX Magazine. She is the host and producer for SYFY Wire’s official podcasts for USA Network’s, Colony, HISTORY's Project Blue Book official podcast, and the Lost retrospective, Through the Looking Glass co-hosted with Maureen Ryan.

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