Javicia Leslie leads the cast of Batwoman season 2 after Ruby Rose departed from the series after playing the titular role for just one season. Leslie plays the character of Ryan Wilder, who is completely different from Rose's Kate Kane.
Ryan and Kate have different personalities, as well as ideas of how Batwoman should be. Leslie's character could end up searching for Rose's character, which might be one of the particular plot points entering Batwoman season 2.
So, how is the newcomer preparing for the role and who is her inspiration? Leslie, who is the first Black woman to play Batwoman, cites the first Black Catwoman as a great inspiration. During the BAWSE Females of Color Within the DC Universe panel, the actress said she "truly admires Eartha Kitt."
The latter is the first Black woman to play the iconic Catwoman in the 1960s Batman TV series. Leslie added that she admires Kitt, even outside of acting. She, also, said that she loves how Kitt used her art for activism and her mentality in general.
During the Legacy of the Bat panel, Leslie shared the first time she learned that she will be the new lead of Batwoman season 2. The actress said she found out the news an hour before everybody else and she's "pretty shocked" at first.
After reviewing the assorted reporting, Leslie saw a reference to her making the first Black woman to play Batwoman, which "changed" for her. Showrunner Caroline Dries, on the other hand, said introducing the first Black Batwoman is both "awesome" and "huge."
As for what viewers can expect in Batwoman season 2, Dries said Kate will have disappeared, which is a huge part of the new installment. The showrunner, then, added she decided to make the character name Ryan Wilder who's different from Rose's character to provide a rich, new, storytelling for the show.
In another report, Rose discussed why she won't be reprising her role in the new installment. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, the actress revealed she started working again shortly after recovering from the injury she got while shooting.
But, she said her decision is not all about the injury. Since they didn't wrap up the real finale due to the pandemic, the actress had a lot of time to think about different things, such as what she wants to do and what she wants to achieve in life.
She explained that it's a great opportunity to have a dialogue about a lot of things. Despite her exit from the series, Rose respects the producers, and they respect her decision, as well. Also, she is honored that Batwoman is played by an LGBTQ+ in live-action for the first time.
Batwoman season 2 is expected to premiere in 2021 on The CW.
