Ruby Rose responds to new Batwoman casting: "I am so glad Batwoman will be played by an amazing Black woman"

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The original Batwoman has nothing but praise for her replacement, Javicia Leslie

(Image credit: The CW/DC)

Following on from the announcement that Javicia Leslie will be the new Batwoman, the previous person who donned the cape and cowl – Ruby Rose – has shared her reaction to the news on social media.

“OMG! This is amazing! I am so glad Batwoman will be played by an amazing Black woman,” Rose wrote on Instagram. “I want to congratulate Javicia Leslie on taking over the bat cape.  You are walking into an amazing cast and crew.  I can’t wait to watch season 2 you are going to be amazing!”

Leslie, who will be playing an entirely new character in the shape of Ryan Wilder, will be introduced in Batwoman season 2, which is still set for 2021.

“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 in a press release.

However, there was a time where the original Batwoman Kate Kane was considered to be recast, not replaced, after Ruby Rose’s departure from the show.

"To be honest with you, I did consider the ‘soap opera version’ for a hot minute, because selfishly we already had a couple episodes written, and transition-wise it would be seamless,” Caroline Dries said of recasting Rose during a Q&A at the ATX Festival at Home (via TV Line). “But upon further reflection – and I think Greg [Berlanti] helped me make this call – he’s like, ‘I think we should just reboot Batwoman as a different character.’”

But now, we’ve got someone different to breathe new life (and, crucially, a new experience) into the CW show. New Batwoman, same Bat-Channel.

Bradley Russell
Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.