When The CW launched its "Batwoman" series in October 2019, it starred Ruby Rose as Kate Kane. Rose was particularly proud that her Batwoman was a lesbian on the TV show, too. The CW's Kane was the cousin of Bruce Wayne and stepped into his crime-fighting shoes after he mysteriously disappeared.
But Rose left the show at the end of the first season, alleging that the work conditions on set were too dangerous. The show replaced Rose with Javicia Leslie, who plays a completely new character, Ryan Wilder. Ryan is recently released from incarceration and living out of her van when she finds the Batwoman suit in the wreckage of an airplane crash that killed Kate. She takes on the mantle of Batwoman in order to keep Gotham City safe.
Leslie is the first Black person to play Batwoman. She told POPSUGAR, "Seeing Ryan on screen reminds me that everything about me is perfectly fine. Same with every other kid growing up. I think that's what this representation means. It's a reminder that you're fine, you're good. Of course, we go through things and there's battles that we fight, but you're not in this alone. There are other people that are in your shoes. To me, that's what Ryan is." Like Kate, Ryan is also queer. The show also featured Nick Kreegan as the first Black person to play the Joker.
