My New Internet Crush...Javicia Leslie - The New & Improved Batwoman
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New Batwoman Javicia Leslie shares first look of her in the Batsuit: 'Look out, Gotham'
By Tyler Aquilina
September 26, 2020 at 11:03 AM EDT
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KATIE YU/THE CW; PAUL ARCHULETA/GETTY IMAGES
Batwoman
TYPE
Gotham's new protector has arrived.
New Batwoman star Javicia Leslie has given us our first real look at her character, Ryan Wilder, in costume, posting a shot from the CW show on Instagram. "Look out, Gotham, I'm suited up and ready to go..." the actress wrote. "But just wait until Ryan Wilder puts her own spin on the Batsuit."
Leslie is stepping into the lead for Batwoman's second season, following former star Ruby Rose's unexpected exit. Her character will take up the Scarlet Knight's mantle after Rose's Kate Kane disappears.
"When I read the character description, it was definitely me," Leslie previously said of Ryan. "I loved the idea that it’s like goofy meets badass meets a person who doesn’t like to be told what to do, a person who does not like to follow the rules."
"This has literally been my dream," she added. "It’s so funny because in May I did an interview and I said, 'One of my future goals and one of my biggest dreams is to become a superhero.' I wanted to be a Black superhero. You don’t get to see that that often. Then a month later, I become the first Black Batwoman."
Showrunner Caroline Dries also said Ryan's costume will "evolve" over the course of the season. "Ryan is like, 'For me to feel empowered in this thing, it needs to feel like I’m representing something I am fighting for,'" she said.
Batwoman season 2 is currently in production in Vancouver. The drama will return on the CW in 2021.
By Tyler Aquilina
September 26, 2020 at 11:03 AM EDT
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KATIE YU/THE CW; PAUL ARCHULETA/GETTY IMAGES
Batwoman
TYPE
- TV Show
- The CW
Gotham's new protector has arrived.
New Batwoman star Javicia Leslie has given us our first real look at her character, Ryan Wilder, in costume, posting a shot from the CW show on Instagram. "Look out, Gotham, I'm suited up and ready to go..." the actress wrote. "But just wait until Ryan Wilder puts her own spin on the Batsuit."
Leslie is stepping into the lead for Batwoman's second season, following former star Ruby Rose's unexpected exit. Her character will take up the Scarlet Knight's mantle after Rose's Kate Kane disappears.
"When I read the character description, it was definitely me," Leslie previously said of Ryan. "I loved the idea that it’s like goofy meets badass meets a person who doesn’t like to be told what to do, a person who does not like to follow the rules."
"This has literally been my dream," she added. "It’s so funny because in May I did an interview and I said, 'One of my future goals and one of my biggest dreams is to become a superhero.' I wanted to be a Black superhero. You don’t get to see that that often. Then a month later, I become the first Black Batwoman."
Showrunner Caroline Dries also said Ryan's costume will "evolve" over the course of the season. "Ryan is like, 'For me to feel empowered in this thing, it needs to feel like I’m representing something I am fighting for,'" she said.
Batwoman season 2 is currently in production in Vancouver. The drama will return on the CW in 2021.
‘Batwoman’ Star Javicia Leslie Unveils First Look at Batsuit
The actor teased her new character Ryan Wilder through a first look image of her Batsuit.
variety.com
‘Batwoman’ Cast and Star Javicia Leslie Talk Representation, New Batsuit and What to Expect in Season 2
For Javicia Leslie, being cast as Batwoman for season 2 of The CW's series was destiny.
variety.com
Women of Color in the DC Universe Talk Casting Backlash and Importance of Representation
Women of color in the DC universe gathered to discuss why representation is so important and impactful in today's world.
variety.com
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Ryan Wilder's Batmobile Revealed In New Batwoman Season 2 Set Photos
Images show Batwoman's new Batmobile.
screenrant.com
The CW's New Batwoman Just Became DC Comics Canon
The New Batwoman makes her first comics appearance!
screenrant.com
The CW's New Batwoman Just Became DC Comics Canon
After a high-profile recasting, The CW's new Batwoman Ryan Wilder has already joined official DC Comics can in the newest Batgirl preview.
BY KEVIN ERDMANN55 MINUTES AGO
DC Comics has released the first look at Batgirl #50, the final issue of the current series coming later this month. But as Batgirl considers a break from her superhero role, it's her interaction with Ryan Wilder fans will be talking about--the future Batwoman of the CW, now officially joining DC canon before she even claims the role after the disappearance of Kate Kane.
It's a time of unrest in the comic book version of Gotham, sending Barbara Gordon to join the protests that have arisen in the city in the wake of the Joker War, with neighborhoods trying to fight gentrification. While there, Batgirl starts to question how much positive change she's been able to bring about as Batgirl, and whether or not it might be time to become something new and better apart from the cape and cowl. It's part the reason she chose to work for her boss Congresswoman Alejo, providing her with a means to help Gotham in ways that Batgirl couldn't. However, even in that role it seems as though Barbara is coming across obstacles, not being able to truly help in the ways she wants to.
In the preview for Batgirl #50, Barbarba meets none other than Ryan Wilder, the new character played by Javicia Leslie and created to become CW's new Batwoman. This issue will serve as Wilder's first appearance in the comics, making her an official canonical character within the DC Universe at large (not just in the CW Arrowverse). While it's unclear if this new comics version of Wilder will follow the same trajectory as her CW counterpart and become Batwoman herself, if her personality is anything like what readers can see in this preview, fans of the CW are in for an entertaining changing of the guard. Here's the preview images and solicitation from DC Comics:
Big changes are in store for Barbara Gordon, and it looks as though it's going to involve a departure from the Batgirl persona (at least temporarily). However, that doesn't mean that she'll be any less effective in her desire to change Gotham for the better, it just means that her methods are most likely going to change. Not only that, but as the preview shows there's still plenty of people in Gotham, like Ryan Wilder, who want to see a change just as much as Barbara.
Batgirl fans should be really excited to see what's store for her in the future of the comics, and Batwoman fans should be equally excited for their first look at their now canonical new hero
@slam @fonzerrillii
What To Expect From Batwoman Season 2
Batwoman season 2 will include a crossover with Superman & Lois!
screenrant.com
What To Expect From Batwoman Season 2
Here's everything we know about Batwoman season 2 on The CW, including its confirmed release date, story details, and coronavirus delays.
BY ANDY BEHBAKHTAUG 24, 2020
Last Updated: August 24, 2020
Here’s what to expect from Batwoman season 2, including its release date and story details. Kate Kane became the latest DC heroine to get her own Arrowverse show, as Ruby Rose brought Bruce Wayne’s cousin - and one of the biggest Bat-family characters - to life on The CW. What was originally set to be a 22-episode season for the DC series concluded with episode 20, “O, Mouse!” because of the coronavirus pandemic; joining The Flash and Supergirl, Batwoman had several episodes left to film to complete its season 1 arc before production was shut down.
As several affected TV shows and films are trying to figure out how to resume productions in safe manners, the Arrowverse is facing the same conundrum. Since Batwoman season 1 ends with several plot threads unresolved, the second season will have to address a lot while also easing into the next storylines, as well as adjusting to life with a new lead character.
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RELATED: What To Expect From The Flash Season 7
Some details have emerged for Batwoman's sophomore season to get fans excited. From release date information to plot details, as well as how Batwoman factors into the annual crossover, here's everything that’s known about Batwoman season 2.
Batwoman Season 2: Ruby Rose Isn't Returning
On May 19, 2020, Batwoman star Ruby Rose shocked fans when she announced her departure from the series. Instead of recasting her role, Batwoman season 2 will introduce a brand new character to take up the Batwoman mantle. The character is tentatively being called Ryan Wilder, but it's unclear if that's simply a cover for it being another known DC Comics hero. She's described as an ex-criminal, and very much not the typical superhero.
Batwoman Season 2: Javicia Leslie Is The New Lead
In July 2020, less than two months following Ruby Rose's departure announcement, Javicia Leslie was officially tapped to play replacement lead character Ryan Wilder. In doing so, she'll become the first Black woman to play Batwoman, and like Kate, Ryan is also an out lesbian. Leslie herself is openly bisexual, and keeping a member of the LGBTQ+ community in the Batwoman role was something many were vocal about.
Batwoman Season 2 Release Date
Traditionally, all the Arrowverse shows, which are filmed in Vancouver, Canada, start shooting their new seasons during late June/early July, and San Diego Comic-Con is where they drop the first piece of footage for the upcoming seasons. But with Comic-Con canceled and filming still not having received a set start date, things will be different for next seasons of the Arrowverse shows, including Batwoman. The CW made the decision to push all of their returning and new shows till 2021, with some premiering in January while others are eyed for a later mid-season arrival. Batwoman was one of the four Arrowverse shows to get set for January 2021, assuming that production actually does begin sometime within the fall.
Batwoman Season 2 Story Details
Despite not having been able to finish its first year, some plots have been revealed for the upcoming season. Following the announcement of bringing the show back in January 2021, The CW released a synopsis for Batwoman season 2 that teased a lot about Kate’s new challenges. Not only would she be dealing with the Crows in a bigger capacity but also “the recently escaped rogues' gallery of villains” (with Hush possibly being one of them), while Alice (Rachel Skarsten) would be battling an opponent from her past. The synopsis also hints at a large game-changer that alters Gotham City as well as Batwoman’s team forever. At least that was the plan, as it's unknown how Kate Kane's exit will effect these stories.
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Season 1 of Batwoman foreshadowed a secret mastermind who will likely play a large role in season 2; showrunner Caroline Dries has confirmed that Safiyah Sohail will serve as the big bad for the second season. She made her DC debut in Batwoman Rebirth #1 in 2017, where she was a former love interest for Kate before becoming an antagonist for the Bat-heroine. Again though, Kate's departure may throw a wrench into this plot. With new threats coming in Batwoman season 2, there might also be the rise of a few new heroes. Camrus Johnson, who plays Luke Fox, has spoken about the possibility of becoming his superhero alter ego Batwing from the comics, which could theoretically occur next season. While the crossover plans have been altered due to the pandemic, Batwoman season 2 is one important half of the annual event.
The CW president Mark Pedowitz confirmed that the yearly crossover will take place between Batwoman and the new Arrowverse spinoff Superman & Lois, which will give the formerly Kate Kane-led series a bigger role. While Kate made her debut in the Elseworlds crossover, and was one of the 7 Paragons to save the Multiverse in Crisis on Infinite Earths, this upcoming 2-parter will likely allow Batwoman to play an even bigger part this time around. While the story plot is still being worked on, Pedowitz confirmed that a lot of characters from the other shows will be showing up, to keep the crossover more intimate this time. Once Warner Bros. TV and The CW begin finding safe and doable solutions, more information about Batwoman season 2 will emerge.
Batwoman Javicia Leslie shows off DC crime fighter's brand new look
The 33-year-old actress' stepped into the role after Ruby Rose left the CW show in May, not long after the show was renewed by the network at the start of this year.
Batwoman boss teases Javicia Leslie's powerful season 2 debut: 'I got chills'
Showrunner Caroline Dries explains why she didn't want to recast Kate Kane and previews an 'untethered' Alice in season 2.
By Chancellor Agard
January 13, 2021 at 01:43 PM EST
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CREDIT: THE CW; INSET: AMY SUSSMAN/GETTY IMAGES
Batwoman
WATCH IT NOW ON
HBO MAX, The CW, Google Play, and more options
Light up the Bat-signal because it's almost time to meet Batwoman's new hero.
Premiering Sunday, the CW superhero drama's second season begins with the introduction of Ryan Wilder, the new Batwoman played by God Friended Me's Javicia Leslie, who picks up the mantle following Ruby Rose's shocking exit. When we meet Leslie's gutsy and passionate martial arts expert, she's living out of a van after serving time for a crime she didn't commit, the latest indignity she's suffered in Gotham City's broken system because she's not privileged like original Batwoman Kate Kane (Rose) or her cousin Bruce Wayne. However, she finds the Batsuit after Kate's mysterious disappearance.
After a few hiccups, Ryan decides to join Luke (Camrus Johnson) and Mary (Nicole Kang) on the Bat-team because the city's needs a hero. More importantly, though, becoming Batwoman is a means of empowering herself and helping those less fortunate like her.
"I was interested in [exploring], who has personal hands on, boots on the ground, point of view experience of the people she's trying to save and find justice for?" Batwoman showrunner Caroline Dries tells EW about creating Ryan. "She's not interested in [stopping] white collar criminals, thought if she needs to, she will. What I love about Ryan is that these people that she needs to represent and save are her people, and to me we didn't have that with Kate. We don't have that with Bruce."
As Ryan learns what it means to be a hero, we'll see her confront a whole host of threats, from Safiyah (Shivaani Ghai), the ominous figure who ordered a hit on Batwoman last season, to hitman Victor Zsasz (Alex Morf), and Black Mask and the False Face Society. Meanwhile, Kate's friends and family will grapple with her absence and try to find a way forward. But note, Kate Kane definitely isn't dead, and what happened to her is one of the season's mysteries.
"Keeping this mystery of Kate alive, the reason I think the audience might hopefully invest in this idea is that the fans' reaction to finding out that we weren't doing an actor swap for Kate was overwhelming to me," says Dries. "It was shocking to me that so many people were willing to just say, 'It's fine. Just put another actress in there. We'll forget it. We'll move on.' So that made me realize that Ruby may be gone from the show, but there is a whole world of possibilities with what we can do with this character."
Below, EW chats with Dries about the season ahead, including why she didn't recast Kate, developing Ryan with Leslie, and what's ahead for the evil Alice (Rachel Skarsten).
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: I'll admit I was surprised when you announced you were creating an entirely new character instead of recasting. Why did you rule out simply recasting Kate Kane?
It didn't feel like the right move for me because honestly, it just felt weird and awkward, and unearned. I'm not opposed to recasting the character of Kate Kane at all. But doing a swap out without any story motivation behind it felt really weird to me. To me, it was asking too much of the audience.
And in a way — I don't know if the audience would agree with this — it was almost negating season 1 and saying, 'Okay, you just need to start watching season 2 to really get the show because…' But not even that. If we were to have all seasons of the series, it would almost feel like season 1 was the anomaly, which I don't want it to feel like. I want it to feel all like one piece of a continuing story. So again, I'm not opposed to the idea of a new actress playing Kate Kane, but in the heat of the moment, just to do a swap and act like nothing happened within our story is a lot for me to digest as the creative lead of the show.
What made Javicia right for the role?
When I watched Javicia's [audition], I noticed she had an innate connection to the words…Then when I met her and we were talking about the character, the similarities just in terms of Ryan's interests and passion, things that matter to her, so lined up with Javicia. It just felt like this was the character in a lot of ways. It was sort of a no-brainer that she would be able to not just embrace who I was creating, but take her and make her her own. And play her with confidence.
CREDIT: THE CW
After casting her, what ideas did she bring to Ryan that helped you figure it out in those early days?
Once we cast a Black Batwoman, it was important for me to bend away from negative TV tropes, [which] is what we call them in the writer's room, just bad representation of a Black woman on TV. So obviously, I can lean on my writing staff to help me with that, but really whose approval I need is Javicia's because she's embodying this character. As I was crafting the backstory — which is kind of complicated [because] all of these superheroes have this complicated backstory where there are various points of impact to their life [that] change them and help them earn their superhero capacity — I wanted to make sure that Javicia was all in on the backstory. Also, we were bringing in a love interest, as we'll see early on in the season, and I wanted to make sure she was vibing with that idea.
She just brings in little things. You'll see in the premiere that she has this plant, that's her best friend and the person she talks to and represents her mom. And she said, "Where was my plant while I was in prison?" And I'm like, "Oh, actually I don't know." So she'll think of a whole story of who was taking care of it and why and how she knows this person and their dynamic. So like any good actor, she fills in the gaps of her past, and it just makes her have a strong foundation where the character's coming from.
When Batwoman premiered last year, it was lauded for being the first show headline by an out superhero. Now, this season you have the first Black woman to play Batwoman. What are the pressures that come up with introducing a groundbreaking character like Ryan?
It's funny, we just keep adding adjectives to how people describe Batwoman [Laughs]. The responsibilities are huge. I didn't create Ryan Wilder to be a Black character. I just created her to be somebody who had a troubled past and was exposed to being a cog in the system. In the season, we're talking about what [it's] like when you feel you're being suffocated by this huge machine that nobody seems to be able to fix.
For me, when we cast Javicia, it was like, "Okay, now I really need to get this right." Because when I was writing Kate, to be honest, a privileged White girl who's gay, I'm like, "I'm writing [that] in my sleep." Somebody like Ryan, that's not my perspective, so obviously it requires a lot of conversations, a lot of communicating, a lot of input from my staff and obviously from Javicia. And it requires, I have to say, a lot of listening. I'm always going for the big story move, the big surprise. Sometimes, you have to sit back, listen, and say, "Okay, is that helping the world right now? Is that move maybe a trope? Are we writing bad TV right now or bad representation?" Sometimes I'll feel my defenses coming up and I have to tell myself, "Relax. Hear this out. We'll find a creative solution where we're not making the wrong move here."
How does having a character like Ryan change the types of stories we'll get on a week-to-week basis, and even the types of villains she's going up against?
For me, there's this very fine line between wanting to stay true to the comic book spectacle and what is expected when you are watching a show about Gotham City that's based on a comic book, and what we can bring that's fresh and do differently. [Those stories] sometimes deal with social justice or how Ryan's life is different than Kate's life, and the struggles that she endures or, that her friends endured growing up. It's exploring this other part of society that Kate didn't have to go through.
For example, Ryan has a parole officer, who we meet in episode 1. There's this one other person breathing down her neck, whereas Kate had all the freedoms in the world, and nobody's questioning any move she makes. So to me, what's important as the creative here is making sure that those stories feel fresh and they don't hit you over the head like, "This is an educational episode." It's still all rooted in the spectacle of a Gotham City TV show.
CREDIT: THE CW
We know Victor Zsasz will be featured, and he falls on the comic book spectacle side. Can you tease what kinds of villains we can expect on the social justice angle?
We have this gang fall the False Face Society that we lightly introduce in episode 1. And they peddle this drug called Snakebite, which is a fictional drug, the DC canon drug.
At this point in production, is there a specific scene that stands out to you when you think of Javicia's performance?
I got chills for the first time watching the streaming feed in the first episode. So I gave her a couple of monologues in the first episode and I was like, "Let's just see how she does with these." And there's this monologue at the end of Act 3 that to me was the character. It just embodies her passion and her conviction and her determination. She delivered this monologue to Mary and Luke and then zipped out of there on the grappling hook. I had chills watching it, because she just nailed it because she so believed it and so understood it.
From talking to Javicia, I know she's doing most of her own stunts. What does that add to the show?
It adds to the realism of the show. I always tell [former Arrow showrunners] Marc Guggenheim and Beth Schwartz the reason I loved Arrow so much from the pilot [was] seeing Stephen Amell doing the salmon ladder. I was just like, "I'm all in." It really made it feel visceral, and you connect. So being able to see Javicia doing all this cool stuff is really fun.
Batwoman was entirely built around Kate Kane — like she's the one who ties almost everyone together. How did you go about incorporating Ryan into this web of characters?
Yeah, that is the biggest challenge. We always consider Batwoman a family drama, and we lost a core family member. We had two things happening: one is our ancillary characters were starting to develop their own lives outside of Kate, which was helpful to us. But also we didn't want to lose Kate from the show. So while the person of Kate who's walking around and existing as a 3D human being on the show doesn't exist when we start the season, her essence exists very much on the show. I would still consider her very much a character on the show. So we continue to build around that, big time.
The other thing is yeah, it was really hard to figure out how Ryan fits into this world, but we found a way to integrate her to have a POV on the Crows, and for the Crows to have a POV on her, specifically Sophie [Meagan Tandy]. She has, we'll see, a personal connection to Alice, and that's something that plays out in a big way in season 2. Then obviously, the Bat-Team has their own dynamic and the big conflict in the beginning of the season is, "How much are we willing to open our hearts to this new character? Does opening our hearts to her mean we're okay with saying good-bye to Kate?" We decided to make that one of the central core conflicts among the Bat-Team. But I think Ryan very naturally fit into the Bat-Team, so that dynamic slowly builds over the season into this family dynamic that makes Ryan feel like she's always belonged.
CREDIT: THE CW
With Mouse dead and Kate missing, Alice has now lost two of the most important people in her life. How is she handling things at the beginning of the season, especially given Safiyah's impending arrival?
Alice has a really huge part in season 2. Season 1, obviously, she was our big bad. And what made her extra interesting was that she was our hero's twin sister. But towards the end of season 1, Alice felt incredibly betrayed by Kate, who tricked her and locked her in Arkham. So the last few episodes, a chunk of episodes in season 1 was Alice secretly planning Kate's demise. In season 2, that opportunity is ripped from her. And now the question is, how will Alice deal with not having this core drive driving her? What is Alice like when she's untethered to an idea? And you don't want to let somebody like that have idle hands, more or less. So Alice's story this season is intimately connected to Safiyah who, we'll find out, she has a past with. And a lot of it centers around Kate and Alice's feelings towards Kate. This is an example of where I'm saying Kate has not, in any way except physically, left the show from Alice's point of view.
When we spoke last season, you were planning on throwing Luke and Mary — who many fans ship — into a love triangle. Is that still in the cards for season 2?
I can't really tease anything about it yet, because it's still in the ether. But I'm not sure how much of it will get to play out. It's one of those things we don't want to mess up. So if it unfolds naturally, great. But if we don't have time for it, we're not going to cram it in.
Outside of the new Batwoman, what are you most excited for fans to see?
Alice's storyline this season. It's really [part] of the mythos spine of the season, and it's got intrigue, love, betrayal, jealousy, murder, all of the big ticket items that you look for on a drama. Of course, Rachel is so fantastic. She's just killing it, so I'm just really excited about that storyline.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Batwoman premieres Sunday at 8 p.m. on The CW.
Showrunner Caroline Dries explains why she didn't want to recast Kate Kane and previews an 'untethered' Alice in season 2.
By Chancellor Agard
January 13, 2021 at 01:43 PM EST
ADVERTISEMENT
SaveFBTweetMore
CREDIT: THE CW; INSET: AMY SUSSMAN/GETTY IMAGES
Batwoman
WATCH IT NOW ON
HBO MAX, The CW, Google Play, and more options
Light up the Bat-signal because it's almost time to meet Batwoman's new hero.
Premiering Sunday, the CW superhero drama's second season begins with the introduction of Ryan Wilder, the new Batwoman played by God Friended Me's Javicia Leslie, who picks up the mantle following Ruby Rose's shocking exit. When we meet Leslie's gutsy and passionate martial arts expert, she's living out of a van after serving time for a crime she didn't commit, the latest indignity she's suffered in Gotham City's broken system because she's not privileged like original Batwoman Kate Kane (Rose) or her cousin Bruce Wayne. However, she finds the Batsuit after Kate's mysterious disappearance.
After a few hiccups, Ryan decides to join Luke (Camrus Johnson) and Mary (Nicole Kang) on the Bat-team because the city's needs a hero. More importantly, though, becoming Batwoman is a means of empowering herself and helping those less fortunate like her.
"I was interested in [exploring], who has personal hands on, boots on the ground, point of view experience of the people she's trying to save and find justice for?" Batwoman showrunner Caroline Dries tells EW about creating Ryan. "She's not interested in [stopping] white collar criminals, thought if she needs to, she will. What I love about Ryan is that these people that she needs to represent and save are her people, and to me we didn't have that with Kate. We don't have that with Bruce."
As Ryan learns what it means to be a hero, we'll see her confront a whole host of threats, from Safiyah (Shivaani Ghai), the ominous figure who ordered a hit on Batwoman last season, to hitman Victor Zsasz (Alex Morf), and Black Mask and the False Face Society. Meanwhile, Kate's friends and family will grapple with her absence and try to find a way forward. But note, Kate Kane definitely isn't dead, and what happened to her is one of the season's mysteries.
"Keeping this mystery of Kate alive, the reason I think the audience might hopefully invest in this idea is that the fans' reaction to finding out that we weren't doing an actor swap for Kate was overwhelming to me," says Dries. "It was shocking to me that so many people were willing to just say, 'It's fine. Just put another actress in there. We'll forget it. We'll move on.' So that made me realize that Ruby may be gone from the show, but there is a whole world of possibilities with what we can do with this character."
Below, EW chats with Dries about the season ahead, including why she didn't recast Kate, developing Ryan with Leslie, and what's ahead for the evil Alice (Rachel Skarsten).
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: I'll admit I was surprised when you announced you were creating an entirely new character instead of recasting. Why did you rule out simply recasting Kate Kane?
It didn't feel like the right move for me because honestly, it just felt weird and awkward, and unearned. I'm not opposed to recasting the character of Kate Kane at all. But doing a swap out without any story motivation behind it felt really weird to me. To me, it was asking too much of the audience.
And in a way — I don't know if the audience would agree with this — it was almost negating season 1 and saying, 'Okay, you just need to start watching season 2 to really get the show because…' But not even that. If we were to have all seasons of the series, it would almost feel like season 1 was the anomaly, which I don't want it to feel like. I want it to feel all like one piece of a continuing story. So again, I'm not opposed to the idea of a new actress playing Kate Kane, but in the heat of the moment, just to do a swap and act like nothing happened within our story is a lot for me to digest as the creative lead of the show.
What made Javicia right for the role?
When I watched Javicia's [audition], I noticed she had an innate connection to the words…Then when I met her and we were talking about the character, the similarities just in terms of Ryan's interests and passion, things that matter to her, so lined up with Javicia. It just felt like this was the character in a lot of ways. It was sort of a no-brainer that she would be able to not just embrace who I was creating, but take her and make her her own. And play her with confidence.
CREDIT: THE CW
After casting her, what ideas did she bring to Ryan that helped you figure it out in those early days?
Once we cast a Black Batwoman, it was important for me to bend away from negative TV tropes, [which] is what we call them in the writer's room, just bad representation of a Black woman on TV. So obviously, I can lean on my writing staff to help me with that, but really whose approval I need is Javicia's because she's embodying this character. As I was crafting the backstory — which is kind of complicated [because] all of these superheroes have this complicated backstory where there are various points of impact to their life [that] change them and help them earn their superhero capacity — I wanted to make sure that Javicia was all in on the backstory. Also, we were bringing in a love interest, as we'll see early on in the season, and I wanted to make sure she was vibing with that idea.
She just brings in little things. You'll see in the premiere that she has this plant, that's her best friend and the person she talks to and represents her mom. And she said, "Where was my plant while I was in prison?" And I'm like, "Oh, actually I don't know." So she'll think of a whole story of who was taking care of it and why and how she knows this person and their dynamic. So like any good actor, she fills in the gaps of her past, and it just makes her have a strong foundation where the character's coming from.
When Batwoman premiered last year, it was lauded for being the first show headline by an out superhero. Now, this season you have the first Black woman to play Batwoman. What are the pressures that come up with introducing a groundbreaking character like Ryan?
It's funny, we just keep adding adjectives to how people describe Batwoman [Laughs]. The responsibilities are huge. I didn't create Ryan Wilder to be a Black character. I just created her to be somebody who had a troubled past and was exposed to being a cog in the system. In the season, we're talking about what [it's] like when you feel you're being suffocated by this huge machine that nobody seems to be able to fix.
For me, when we cast Javicia, it was like, "Okay, now I really need to get this right." Because when I was writing Kate, to be honest, a privileged White girl who's gay, I'm like, "I'm writing [that] in my sleep." Somebody like Ryan, that's not my perspective, so obviously it requires a lot of conversations, a lot of communicating, a lot of input from my staff and obviously from Javicia. And it requires, I have to say, a lot of listening. I'm always going for the big story move, the big surprise. Sometimes, you have to sit back, listen, and say, "Okay, is that helping the world right now? Is that move maybe a trope? Are we writing bad TV right now or bad representation?" Sometimes I'll feel my defenses coming up and I have to tell myself, "Relax. Hear this out. We'll find a creative solution where we're not making the wrong move here."
How does having a character like Ryan change the types of stories we'll get on a week-to-week basis, and even the types of villains she's going up against?
For me, there's this very fine line between wanting to stay true to the comic book spectacle and what is expected when you are watching a show about Gotham City that's based on a comic book, and what we can bring that's fresh and do differently. [Those stories] sometimes deal with social justice or how Ryan's life is different than Kate's life, and the struggles that she endures or, that her friends endured growing up. It's exploring this other part of society that Kate didn't have to go through.
For example, Ryan has a parole officer, who we meet in episode 1. There's this one other person breathing down her neck, whereas Kate had all the freedoms in the world, and nobody's questioning any move she makes. So to me, what's important as the creative here is making sure that those stories feel fresh and they don't hit you over the head like, "This is an educational episode." It's still all rooted in the spectacle of a Gotham City TV show.
CREDIT: THE CW
We know Victor Zsasz will be featured, and he falls on the comic book spectacle side. Can you tease what kinds of villains we can expect on the social justice angle?
We have this gang fall the False Face Society that we lightly introduce in episode 1. And they peddle this drug called Snakebite, which is a fictional drug, the DC canon drug.
At this point in production, is there a specific scene that stands out to you when you think of Javicia's performance?
I got chills for the first time watching the streaming feed in the first episode. So I gave her a couple of monologues in the first episode and I was like, "Let's just see how she does with these." And there's this monologue at the end of Act 3 that to me was the character. It just embodies her passion and her conviction and her determination. She delivered this monologue to Mary and Luke and then zipped out of there on the grappling hook. I had chills watching it, because she just nailed it because she so believed it and so understood it.
From talking to Javicia, I know she's doing most of her own stunts. What does that add to the show?
It adds to the realism of the show. I always tell [former Arrow showrunners] Marc Guggenheim and Beth Schwartz the reason I loved Arrow so much from the pilot [was] seeing Stephen Amell doing the salmon ladder. I was just like, "I'm all in." It really made it feel visceral, and you connect. So being able to see Javicia doing all this cool stuff is really fun.
Batwoman was entirely built around Kate Kane — like she's the one who ties almost everyone together. How did you go about incorporating Ryan into this web of characters?
Yeah, that is the biggest challenge. We always consider Batwoman a family drama, and we lost a core family member. We had two things happening: one is our ancillary characters were starting to develop their own lives outside of Kate, which was helpful to us. But also we didn't want to lose Kate from the show. So while the person of Kate who's walking around and existing as a 3D human being on the show doesn't exist when we start the season, her essence exists very much on the show. I would still consider her very much a character on the show. So we continue to build around that, big time.
The other thing is yeah, it was really hard to figure out how Ryan fits into this world, but we found a way to integrate her to have a POV on the Crows, and for the Crows to have a POV on her, specifically Sophie [Meagan Tandy]. She has, we'll see, a personal connection to Alice, and that's something that plays out in a big way in season 2. Then obviously, the Bat-Team has their own dynamic and the big conflict in the beginning of the season is, "How much are we willing to open our hearts to this new character? Does opening our hearts to her mean we're okay with saying good-bye to Kate?" We decided to make that one of the central core conflicts among the Bat-Team. But I think Ryan very naturally fit into the Bat-Team, so that dynamic slowly builds over the season into this family dynamic that makes Ryan feel like she's always belonged.
CREDIT: THE CW
With Mouse dead and Kate missing, Alice has now lost two of the most important people in her life. How is she handling things at the beginning of the season, especially given Safiyah's impending arrival?
Alice has a really huge part in season 2. Season 1, obviously, she was our big bad. And what made her extra interesting was that she was our hero's twin sister. But towards the end of season 1, Alice felt incredibly betrayed by Kate, who tricked her and locked her in Arkham. So the last few episodes, a chunk of episodes in season 1 was Alice secretly planning Kate's demise. In season 2, that opportunity is ripped from her. And now the question is, how will Alice deal with not having this core drive driving her? What is Alice like when she's untethered to an idea? And you don't want to let somebody like that have idle hands, more or less. So Alice's story this season is intimately connected to Safiyah who, we'll find out, she has a past with. And a lot of it centers around Kate and Alice's feelings towards Kate. This is an example of where I'm saying Kate has not, in any way except physically, left the show from Alice's point of view.
When we spoke last season, you were planning on throwing Luke and Mary — who many fans ship — into a love triangle. Is that still in the cards for season 2?
I can't really tease anything about it yet, because it's still in the ether. But I'm not sure how much of it will get to play out. It's one of those things we don't want to mess up. So if it unfolds naturally, great. But if we don't have time for it, we're not going to cram it in.
Outside of the new Batwoman, what are you most excited for fans to see?
Alice's storyline this season. It's really [part] of the mythos spine of the season, and it's got intrigue, love, betrayal, jealousy, murder, all of the big ticket items that you look for on a drama. Of course, Rachel is so fantastic. She's just killing it, so I'm just really excited about that storyline.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Batwoman premieres Sunday at 8 p.m. on The CW.
'Batwoman' beyond: Javicia Leslie is Gotham City's future
The former government contractor-turned-actor has dreamed of playing a superhero for most of her life — and now she finally gets the chance to as the CW's new Crimson Knight.
Batwoman Beyond: Javicia Leslie is Gotham City's future
The former government contractor-turned-actor has dreamed of playing a superhero for most of her life — and now she finally gets the chance to as the CW's new Crimson Knight.
By Chancellor Agard
Javicia Leslie is preparing for her next battle. It's the mid-1990s, and with nothing to do on this classically muggy summer day in the Washington, D.C., suburbs, a young Leslie is dressed up as Xena, with her homemade weapon in hand, waiting to face her next opponent (read: friend or family member). "It's imagination at its finest," says the now 33-year-old actress, recalling those childhood years spent masquerading as righteous fighters, like Lucy Lawless' iconic Warrior Princess or WWE-style wrestlers with names she and her friends created. Like many of us when we were in elementary school, she dreamed of one day becoming a hero — maybe even Storm from the X-Men — and those joyful, cosplay-filled backyard games were her way of manifesting that. However, unlike the rest of us, it actually paid off: Over two decades later, she spends her nights (and most days) prowling the streets of Gotham City in a cape and red-accented wig, and fighting batty villains with a scarlet symbol emblazoned on her chest and a bo staff in her hand.
The God Friended Me alum answers the call as the new leading woman of the CW's Batwoman, which returns for its second season Sunday. With her arrival, Leslie takes the Arrowverse drama in a bold new direction while also getting to live out her (and everyone's) childhood fantasy.
"This is something I've wanted my entire life," says Leslie, whose vocal pitch rises as she recounts how often she gets to put her martial arts skills, especially the bo staff, to use on the show. "Every single time, I'm just like, 'How could this be work? This is so freaking cool. For real, this is my life?' I get to just keep flying around and beating people's butts. It's just so much fun!"
When the Greg Berlanti-produced series premiered in 2019, it starred Ruby Rose (Orange Is the New Black) as Bruce Wayne's equally wealthy gay cousin Kate Kane, the modern incarnation of Batwoman originally introduced in DC Comics 52 series 15 years ago — and the first out superhero to headline a television series. Season 1 followed Kate as she threw on the cape and red flowy wig to protect Batman's perennially beleaguered city from a host of bad guys, including her villainous twin sister Alice (Rachel Skarsten).
Despite its heroine's impenetrable suit, Batwoman couldn't avoid being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Production on the first season shut down in March 2020 with two episodes left to film. Thus, the show's 20th episode became its season finale. But that wasn't the only season-ending surprise — two days after the May 17 finale aired, the unthinkable happened: Rose left the show, partially due to a back injury and the pandemic. Instead of simply recasting Kate, Batwoman showrunner Caroline Dries decided to create an entirely new character to pick up the Crimson Knight's mantle. Thus, Leslie's Ryan Wilder was born.
Ryan is a street-smart lesbian and martial arts expert who grew up in Gotham City group homes until a woman adopted her. They didn't have money, but they had each other, which is all Ryan ever needed. But, this is a superhero story after all, so tragedy eventually struck, thwarting Ryan's happiness. Sometime later, Ryan got arrested for a drug crime she didn't commit. In a typical Batman story, she's the type of youngster Bruce would take under his wing as Robin (á la Dick Grayson or Jason Todd) because of her hard knocks background and fighting skills. But Batwoman pushes the Bat mythos forward by making Ryan the Bat hero; she's not playing second fiddle to anyone.
"At the end of the day, the character of Kate Kane is important. That's always going to be the first Batwoman and it should be. But I think that it's really dope that we're getting this chance to show another side of not only Batwoman, but Gotham City," says Leslie, comparing Ryan's working class background to Bruce's privileged upbringing at Wayne Manor. "I think we've done such an amazing job of introducing Ryan in a way where it's like this is a part of Gotham that doesn't get seen."
Taking on the role of Ryan means that Leslie, who identifies as bisexual, is the first Black woman to ever portray Batwoman in a live-action project, a landmark moment of representation in the genre that isn't lost on the actress. "Every day, I feel that pressure — and I don't look at it as pressure. I look at it as a responsibility," says Leslie, who says she has always been inspired by artist-activists like Nina Simone, Josephine Baker, and Eartha Kitt (who herself made superhero history as Catwoman opposite Adam West's Batman). "When I did my research on these women, [I was] like, 'Oh my God, at one point in my life, I want to be in the history books for doing what I love and that it made a difference.' And so this happens and it makes a difference."
She's also thrilled to be part of a surging wave of representation in the DC Universe as a whole, which includes Anna Diop, who plays Starfire on HBO Max's Titans, and Black Lightning's Nafessa Williams, who portrays the lesbian superhero Thunder, among others. "It's really dope that there are going to be so many little kids that are going to grow up seeing that as a representation and know that they have the ability to be whatever they want," Leslie says.
When Ryan first becomes Batwoman on the show, Kate's allies — tech-genius Luke Fox (Camrus Johnson) and Kate's savvy stepsister Mary Hamilton (Nicole Kang) — aren't completely sure if Ryan will be up to the task. But nobody has those doubts about Leslie herself, who has been preparing to play a superhero for a long time. Like Bruce, she's devoted many hours to training her mind and body — albeit without his emotional trauma and bank account.
A military brat, Leslie was born in Germany but grew up right outside of Washington, D.C., in Upper Marlboro, Md. As a kid, in addition to running around outside dressed up as her favorite heroes, she would stage plays with her cousins. She took her first major steps into the performing arts in high school when she read a Nikki Giovanni poem in a Black history play and also appeared in the school's production of Ntozake Shange's For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf.
At Hampton University, she majored in business instead of acting and channeled her dramatic self into beauty pageants and was crowned Miss Hampton in 2007. "For me, it was an opportunity to be on stage and perform," says Leslie, who also played Lady in Red in another production of For Colored Girls in college. "That play changed my life because it made me realize that I needed acting. I needed it because it gave me a reason to cry, to laugh, to dance."
After graduating in 2009, Leslie returned to Washington and took a job with the U.S. Army. By day, she paid soldiers in Afghanistan whose service was involuntarily extended beyond their end date, and at night, she took acting classes and hosted a live competition show called Love From the Soundstage. After two years, though, she realized it wasn't enough to simply perform as a hobby. "What really put the nail in the coffin for me was watching TV and seeing people do what I love and fearlessly go after what I wanted to go after," she says. So when her government contract ended in 2012, she took her severance and moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dream.
Working for the Army — and being raised by a mother in the military — instilled discipline in her in more ways than one. Her experience with the military chain of command affects how she approaches acting, too. "I tend to say 'yes, ma'am' and 'yes, sir' a lot. And people will say, 'Don't do that.' And I'm like, 'I'm sorry, I'm a military brat. This is how I know how to communicate with people.' It's my way of respecting people." When she moved to L.A., she skipped nights out with friends to save money for her acting classes. "If you show up for the work, the work will show up for you," she says, repeating the advice she gives hopeful L.A. newcomers. And it eventually did. In 2014, she was cast in Swim at Your Own Risk, a Lifetime TV romantic thriller and her first leading role. Then, four years later, she landed her first series regular gig on God Friended Me, an earnest drama that ran for two seasons on CBS. Leslie played Ali, a cheery churchgoing psychology student whose atheist brother Miles (Brandon Micheal Hall) was investigating God's mysterious Facebook account.
"[Hall] showed me how to lead a project [through] his integrity, the way he fought for people, and the way he always stood up for what was right," says Leslie. "His work ethic. His consistency. That's something that I take with me as a lead of my show."
For his part, Hall was equally impressed by Leslie well-roundedness. "She's constantly learning or reading books, or trying to figure out new ways to improve herself as a human being," he says. "She keeps herself in balance."
Credit: Nino Muñoz for EW
Like your typical superhero, Leslie has experience juggling dueling identities. While working on the New York-based God Friended Me, she frequently flew back to Los Angeles because she was simultaneously playing a ferocious spoiled brat and femme fatale on BET+'s dark crime drama The Family Business.
"There's nothing she can't do," says Yvette Nicole Brown, who pushed to cast Leslie as the lead of the 2019 romantic comedy Always a Bridesmaid, which Brown wrote. "I call her little Chaka Khan because she's every woman."
Reflecting on the many different kinds of Black women she's already played in the last three years, Leslie says: "I think it was important for me to have those roles before this, because it's just a constant reminder of how dynamic we are, how necessary we are, and how important it is to see us on screen."
During Leslie's free time (what little she has), she cooks, meditates, maintains an intense workout regimen, and studies various forms of martial arts, including Muay Thai and kickboxing. "There are healthy people that just like to move, but Javicia goes beyond. She trains as if she's training for something," says Brown. "I think about all those videos she had up [on Instagram] a year or so ago of her flipping tires and jumping ropes and sprints, [and realize] she was preparing to be Batwoman. She didn't even know it. When the opportunity came, she was already in peak shape to step in."
- YVETTE NICOLE BROWN ON JAVICIA LESLIE
When it became clear Rose wasn't returning, showrunner Dries knew she had to find a way forward. She was committed to keeping Batwoman queer and casting an actress from the LGBTQ community, but she was unsure whether to simply recast Kate Kane, who is traditionally Batwoman in the comics, or create a new character to pick up the mantle. Ultimately, she chose the latter, in part because there wasn't a story-based reason for Kate's appearance to change. More importantly, though, she saw an opportunity to bring something new to the Batman mythology: Kate and her missing Dark Knight cousin come from wealthy backgrounds, but what would someone from a less privileged upbringing do with the Bat symbol? That question ultimately led to the creation of the passionate and defiant Ryan.
"While Bruce and Kate were interested in fighting [Gotham City's corrupt] system and social injustice, Ryan actually has experience being stuck in that system firsthand," says Dries, "and I think that's actually what her superpower is."
Creating a new character isn't unheard of — it's something that fans of comics are used to, in fact. Heroic monikers like the Flash, Green Lantern, or even Batman are shared by multiple people or passed down generations because what these heroes represent is far more important than the person underneath the mask. For example, former Robin Dick Grayson became Batman after Bruce Wayne appeared to die in Final Crisis; Future State, DC's ongoing line-wide event, features a Black Batman in the near future; and Wally West went from Kid Flash to the Flash when Barry Allen died in Crisis on Infinite Earths. In Batwoman season 1, Kate became Batwoman because the city was suffering in Batman's five-year absence and the Bat symbol gave people hope.
"The idea of legacy certainly gave me confidence this was possible," says Dries. "It's all about making sure the person underneath it is worthy and can step up to the challenge to represent the symbol."
Dries found that person in Leslie, whose immediate connection to Ryan Wilder blew her away in the audition. "It was like the character was oozing out of her so naturally. She nailed the comedic timing, which we purposefully put in the audition [sides]. You could just tell she was Ryan," says Dries. Leslie's work ethic also impressed Dries when they sat down to discuss the expectations of being No. 1 on the call sheet of a superhero show — from contending with the chilly conditions in Vancouver where the show films, to the stunt requirements, long work days, and frequent night shoots. "Her response was, 'Oh yeah, I never had a day off in the last five years. I'm working on two different shows at once. I'm always working.' Or working out, or taking care of her body or meditating," says Dries. "I was like, 'Okay, she has the work ethic of a number one. She can do this role. But also she can relate to somebody like Ryan, who's needing to be two people at once."
In the season 2 premiere, a homeless and jobless Ryan stumbles upon the Batsuit after Kate disappears (no, she's not dead). At first, Ryan views the suit as a way of reclaiming her power after years of feeling powerless. As the season progresses, she eventually joins Luke and Mary on the Bat team full time because the city needs a defender, and develops her own personal rivalry with Alice. Her full transformation — with a new suit of her own — becomes her way of standing up for the people Gotham often overlooks.
In the beginning, Leslie was surprised by how similar she and Ryan are, both in terms of their shared love of plants and their natural "rawness." "[She has a] she is who she is type of personality…. No matter where she is, she shows up as herself — and [doesn't hide] what she believes in." When the cameras started rolling, Leslie infused Ryan with some of her own goofiness and lightness. "As actors, we do like to separate ourselves so that we can play different roles and you see differences in our characters. But it really felt like I needed to bring a little bit of who I am to this."
- CAROLINE DRIES ON JAVICIA LESLIE'S PERFORMANCE
While playing Ryan came very naturally to Leslie, she did face some uncertainty when she put on the Batsuit for the first time. "I completely related to Ryan when it came to defining who Batwoman is to her, and who she is to Batwoman," she says. Having the iconic Bat symbol on her chest made her question simple things like posture. "I did have a moment where I felt like, 'Is this how a superhero's supposed to pose?'" she recalls, adding that figuring out how Batwoman would land when she jumped into a scene took some time (you can see the imposing end result on her Instagram). "As time has gone on, I realize, when you become a superhero, it's going to be your energy and your version of the superhero for that project…. I wouldn't say it was a bit of a learning curve. I think it was a bit of a trusting curve. It's a bit of trusting that you're enough."
To further immerse herself in playing Batwoman, Leslie is also performing the majority of her own stunts. She beams as she gushes about grapple-hooking in and out of scenes or using the bo staff, animatedly pantomiming each action. According to Camrus Johnson, that glee was palpable when she zipped up, up, and away for the first time after meeting Luke and Mary.
"She was shooting up and she just had this big smile and started laughing. And they didn't say cut yet. [It] was like, 'Javicia, you're still Batwoman!'" says Johnson. "But you could just [see] this little Black girl joy in her. She's just like, 'Wow, I am in the Batsuit. I'm using the Bat tools. This is really happening!'"
Leslie adds with a laugh: "I felt like I was on a roller coaster, or that I was Superman... actually Batwoman! I still can't do a stunt without smiling hard, so they usually let me go at least twice so that I can get all of my giggles out."
But it's not just about the adrenaline rush for her. The stunts are an integral part of the storytelling and Ryan and Batwoman's character development. For example: While shooting episode 4, there's a moment when Ryan, rocking her new Batsuit, launches out of a scene after meeting a young kid. The episode's director assumed Ryan's stuntwoman would do the act, which would've required changing the camera angle. But Leslie insisted on executing it herself to serve the story, which explores Gotham's apathy about missing Black children.
"I didn't want the camera angle to change, because this was a moment that you needed to see her connect with this kid and exit the scene in one shot," says Leslie. "We cannot turn [the camera] and make it someone else. It has to be me."
She's looking forward to pushing the action even further. "Right now, I fly out of scenes, but I can only go so high. And so we're going to get higher," she says. "Very high. I'm just really excited because we figured out a way to get the camera above me. Now when I fly out, you're going to see me go out for a while." Hopefully for many seasons to come.
Credit: Katie Yu/The CW
Motion and still photography by Nino Muñoz for EW. Production by Kendra Voth/In The City Entertainment for EW.
Hair: Janice Workman; Make-Up: Corey Roberts; Wardrobe: Maya Mani; Props: Paxton Downrd; Stunt Coordinator: Marshall Virtue. Boots: B2; Dress: For Love & Lemons.
Batwoman Season 2 Needs to Get Over Kate Kane Fast
Kate Kane's fate can't overshadow the new hero.
screenrant.com
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I hope she ain’t playing that lesbian shit!!
Fucking tired of that shit in TV shows and Movies.
Black bitches and niggas is 12% of the total 4% of the US population but watching Hollygay you would think black mfs are 98% of the total.
i stopped watching series and movies soon as that shit starts. Fuck theses crackas!
Fuck it just venting!!!! Chick fine as fuck!
Fucking tired of that shit in TV shows and Movies.
Black bitches and niggas is 12% of the total 4% of the US population but watching Hollygay you would think black mfs are 98% of the total.
i stopped watching series and movies soon as that shit starts. Fuck theses crackas!
Fuck it just venting!!!! Chick fine as fuck!
Batwoman Season 2 Video Highlights Mary Hamilton & Ryan Wilder's Friendship
Nicole Kang has teased friendship between Mary Hamilton and Ryan Wilder in Batwoman season 2 in a new video. She says Mary will empower Ryan.
BY SYED FAHADULLAH HUSSAINI2 HOURS AGO
Mary Hamilton actress Nicole Kang has opened about the friendship between her character and the new heroine Ryan Wilder in a new video previewing Batwoman season 2. With only a few days left until the premiere of the Arroweverse TV-show's sophomore run, fans are eagerly preparing to welcome a new vigilante in Gotham City. Previously, during season 1, it was Ruby Rose's Kate Kane who protected Gotham after the disappearance of her billionaire philanthropist cousin Bruce Wayne. But Rose quit Batwoman last May, paving way for Leslie to step in and assume her mantle as a brand new street-level hero. Now, by the time Batwoman season 2 debuts, Rose's Kate will have gone missing, leaving all her Bat Team allies, including Mary, distressed. However, soon Leslie's Ryan will enter the scene as a ray of hope for the Batcave squad.
Kang's Mary is one character who will likely endure the most pain due to Kate's disappearance. Throughout season 1, it was Mary who stood by Kate the most, even despite the latter's dismissive attitude. Although Mary discovers the secret of Kate's superhero alter-ego early on during the show, she decides to keep mum and continues helping Kate by lending her emotional and medical support. It is only when Kate is too demotivated to suit up that Mary comes clean to her. She uses her relationship with Kate to help her get over her fears and get back to save Gotham. Now Kate's sudden disappearance will leave Mary devastated, but she will work past her grief for the sake of her patients and the unprivileged, and she will also provide counsel to Ryan who has since taken up Kate's duties.
RELATED: Batwoman Season 2: Everything We Know About Javicia Leslie's New Hero
A recent clip shared by The CW highlights the upcoming bond between Kang's Mary and Leslie's Wilder. In the video, Kang says she is very excited to see how the dynamics between Mary and Ryan shape up. According to Kang, Mary will endorse and empower Ryan as the new Batwoman, regardless of the strikingly different backgrounds that the two hail from. This idea of women supporting women, Kang believes, illustrates the real beauty of female friendships.
In Batwoman season 2, Ryan will be facing-off against quite a handful of domineering villains, this includes returning antagonists, like Alice (Rachel Skarsten) and Hush (Warren Christie), in addition to some newer foes, such as Safiyah Sohail (Shivaani Ghai), Victor Zsasz (Alex Morf), and Black Mask. So amid all this hostility and iniquity, it will be nice, if not necessary, for Ryan if she finds a dependable support system in Mary. Previously, Mary has demonstrated her worth as a powerful sidekick. But with Ryan, it appears, that she will be taking a role that is more of a mentor, which is a new and interesting shade for Mary's generally excitable character.
Surely, with Rose's exit, fans will miss the camaraderie that Kate and Mary shared. But needless to say, there is a lot more to look forward to with the new equation that will blossom between Ryan and Mary as season 2 progresses. While Ryan may be the complete opposite of Kate, some of her character traits overlap with Mary's, which means that there is a potential for the two to become ultimate girl pals in Batwoman season 2. Season 1 did an exemplary job exploring sibling dynamics and rivalries in the Batverse. But now that so much has changed since the end of the freshman run, season 2 can definitely benefit from the portrayal of an unbreakable female friendship that gives lessons about feminism from a superhero perspective in a socially-charged era. Hopefully, fans will be able to cherish Mary and Ryan's bond once Batwoman season 2 arrives on January 17, 2021.
Nicole Kang has teased friendship between Mary Hamilton and Ryan Wilder in Batwoman season 2 in a new video. She says Mary will empower Ryan.
BY SYED FAHADULLAH HUSSAINI2 HOURS AGO
Mary Hamilton actress Nicole Kang has opened about the friendship between her character and the new heroine Ryan Wilder in a new video previewing Batwoman season 2. With only a few days left until the premiere of the Arroweverse TV-show's sophomore run, fans are eagerly preparing to welcome a new vigilante in Gotham City. Previously, during season 1, it was Ruby Rose's Kate Kane who protected Gotham after the disappearance of her billionaire philanthropist cousin Bruce Wayne. But Rose quit Batwoman last May, paving way for Leslie to step in and assume her mantle as a brand new street-level hero. Now, by the time Batwoman season 2 debuts, Rose's Kate will have gone missing, leaving all her Bat Team allies, including Mary, distressed. However, soon Leslie's Ryan will enter the scene as a ray of hope for the Batcave squad.
Kang's Mary is one character who will likely endure the most pain due to Kate's disappearance. Throughout season 1, it was Mary who stood by Kate the most, even despite the latter's dismissive attitude. Although Mary discovers the secret of Kate's superhero alter-ego early on during the show, she decides to keep mum and continues helping Kate by lending her emotional and medical support. It is only when Kate is too demotivated to suit up that Mary comes clean to her. She uses her relationship with Kate to help her get over her fears and get back to save Gotham. Now Kate's sudden disappearance will leave Mary devastated, but she will work past her grief for the sake of her patients and the unprivileged, and she will also provide counsel to Ryan who has since taken up Kate's duties.
RELATED: Batwoman Season 2: Everything We Know About Javicia Leslie's New Hero
A recent clip shared by The CW highlights the upcoming bond between Kang's Mary and Leslie's Wilder. In the video, Kang says she is very excited to see how the dynamics between Mary and Ryan shape up. According to Kang, Mary will endorse and empower Ryan as the new Batwoman, regardless of the strikingly different backgrounds that the two hail from. This idea of women supporting women, Kang believes, illustrates the real beauty of female friendships.
In Batwoman season 2, Ryan will be facing-off against quite a handful of domineering villains, this includes returning antagonists, like Alice (Rachel Skarsten) and Hush (Warren Christie), in addition to some newer foes, such as Safiyah Sohail (Shivaani Ghai), Victor Zsasz (Alex Morf), and Black Mask. So amid all this hostility and iniquity, it will be nice, if not necessary, for Ryan if she finds a dependable support system in Mary. Previously, Mary has demonstrated her worth as a powerful sidekick. But with Ryan, it appears, that she will be taking a role that is more of a mentor, which is a new and interesting shade for Mary's generally excitable character.
Surely, with Rose's exit, fans will miss the camaraderie that Kate and Mary shared. But needless to say, there is a lot more to look forward to with the new equation that will blossom between Ryan and Mary as season 2 progresses. While Ryan may be the complete opposite of Kate, some of her character traits overlap with Mary's, which means that there is a potential for the two to become ultimate girl pals in Batwoman season 2. Season 1 did an exemplary job exploring sibling dynamics and rivalries in the Batverse. But now that so much has changed since the end of the freshman run, season 2 can definitely benefit from the portrayal of an unbreakable female friendship that gives lessons about feminism from a superhero perspective in a socially-charged era. Hopefully, fans will be able to cherish Mary and Ryan's bond once Batwoman season 2 arrives on January 17, 2021.
A Hampton University grad!!! HU you know!!!!!
She is fine as frog hair
She is fine as frog hair
I hear you that we are being over represented in in the gay demographic. She is bisexual in real life so quiet possible they will go with the gay angle.
The District.