The Arrowverse has found its Batwoman: Ruby Rose has been cast as the Gotham City-based crime-fighter. Rose will debut as Batwoman in this year’s crossover, a three-night event spread out over Supergirl, Arrow, and The Flash. If her introduction proves successful, it leads into Batwoman’s potential solo series, which would be scheduled to film in spring 2019 for a fall premiere. Caroline Dries (The Vampire Diaries, Smallville) is writing the script for the Batwoman pilot, with Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter as executive producers.
Batwoman is an ideal fit to join The CW’s superhero lineup. Like Arrow’s titular archer, Batwoman merges street-level vigilante action with a new playground for the Arrowverse: Gotham itself, which includes the familiar iconography of Batman. Batwoman’s alter ego, Katherine “Kate” Kane, is an out lesbian and is the highest-profile LGBTQ+ superhero in DC Comics. With representation a priority, Batwoman’s producers sought a lesbian actress for the lead role and found the perfect choice in Ruby Rose. Thus, Batwoman will be right at home in The CW’s shared universe that already includes LGBTQ heroes like Sara Lance/The White Canary (Caity Lotz), Alex Danvers (Chyler Leigh), Curtis Holt/Mr. Terrific (Echo Kellum), and John Constantine (Matt Ryan). Supergirl is also introducing TV’s first transgender superhero.
Meanwhile, Kate Kane’s comic book biography is the total package of a tragic past channeled into a quest for heroism. The daughter of U.S. Army Colonel Jacob Kane, Kate and her twin sister Beth were abducted and ransomed as children, along with their mother Gabrielle. The mission to rescue them led to the death of their mother and (presumed at the time) Beth. Kate later joined West Point to follow in her father’s footsteps but was outed as a lesbian and forced to leave the academy. Back in Gotham, an encounter with the Batman inspired her to don a similar uniform and become Batwoman. What’s more, Batwoman is Batman’s cousin; Bruce Wayne’s mother Martha’s maiden name was Kane and, like Bruce, Kate is heir to a vast fortune.
What differentiates Batwoman from the Arrowverse’s other costumed heroes is that she is a soldier. To gain the necessary skills to become a vigilante, Kate spent two years training under brutal conditions all over the world, thanks to her father Jake’s military cohorts. As Batwoman, Kate wears a bulletproof costume complete with the iconic Bat symbol, cowl, and cape (with a long red wig hiding her close-cropped hair). An expert martial artist, she also sports a utility belt equipped with Batarangs and assorted weapons, though she isn’t as reliant on gadgets as Batman.
Batwoman arrives with ready-made connections to the Arrowverse. In her comic series, Batwoman worked both for and against the DEO, the government agency that employs Supergirl in The CW (and lends credence to the fan theory that the crossover will be set in Supergirl’s Earth-38 and not on Arrow and The Flash’s Earth-1). In addition, Batwoman was once engaged to Maggie Sawyer; the former National City cop was played by Floriana Lima and was engaged to Supergirl’s Alex Danvers. This relationship is something Batwoman could pick up on, which would instantly create conflict between Alex and Kate. Batwoman’s other famous love affair was with Gotham detective Renee Montoya, who became The Question in the comics.
As for a rogue’s gallery, Batwoman has faced Batman’s famous foes like Bane and Killer Croc. She also tackles numerous supernatural threats, such as the Greek monster Medusa (which ties in nicely to the mythological direction Legends of Tomorrow is undertaking in season 4). Batwoman also has her own version of the Joker: her twin sister Beth, who is not only alive but a psychopath calling herself Alice and is backed by the evil Religion of Crime.
Ruby Rose could not be more ideally cast as Kate Kane. The tattooed Australian actress (Kate also sports ink) was fiercely charismatic in Orange Is The New Black and held her own against the titular assassin in John Wick 2. Currently appearing in The Meg, Rose has the sheer presence and action chops to bring Batwoman to life and trailblaze a new iconic superheroine beyond even Batman.
