The Arrowverse just experienced a dramatic change. Ruby Rose, the star of Batwoman, is exiting the DC Comics series after a single season. Rose first appeared as Kate Kane, a.k.a. Batwoman, in the 2018-2019 mega Arrowverse crossover event. After that debut, Rose went on to portray the superhero in her very own series, which debuted in October 2019—not long ago at all. The CW has already renewed Batwoman for a second season, so they’ll be continuing the show and recasting the title role.
Deadline shared Rose’s statement about her departure. She said, “I have made the very difficult decision to not return to Batwoman next season. This was not a decision I made lightly as I have the utmost respect for the cast, crew, and everyone involved with the show in both Vancouver and in Los Angeles.”
The CW
Rose went on to express gratitude to Greg Berlanti and more for welcoming her in the DC universe, as well as the teams at Warner Bros. and The CW. She didn’t provide any specific reason for leaving the role, so fans are speculating about the possibilities.
When Warner Bros. Television and Berlanti Productions cast Rose as the lead character, it was a big deal. They put an LGBTQ actress in a starring role. She was the first gay lead character in a live-action superhero series; Kane even came out to Gotham City in the first season. It’s important. And WBTV and Berlanti affirm they’ll choose another LGBTQ actress to replace Rose as Batwoman.
It will be interesting to see whether they offer any in-story explanation for the change. The first season of Batwoman just wrapped a couple of days ago, so there’s not a chance of filming any kind of story that could bridge the two actors playing the character. We’ll stay tuned.
Featured Image: The CW
Amy Ratcliffe is the Managing Editor for Nerdist and the author of Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
