Kate Kane will no longer be the lead character in the CW’s Batwoman. Following Ruby Rose’s departure, the show has decided to have a new lead character instead of recasting Rose’s Kane.
The new lead is named Ryan Wilder and is younger than Kate Kane—she’s in her mid to late 20s. It’s still unclear if Ryan is a new character or a code name for an existing DC character, and Season 2 will show her journey to becoming Batwoman.
The official casting note said, “[Ryan is] likable, messy, a little goofy and untamed” and “nothing like Kate Kane, the woman who wore the batsuit before her.” Ryan is a former drug-runner, but now sober living in her van with her plant and she’s a skilled, but undisciplined fighter. Like Kane, she’s an out lesbian, and performers who identify as LGBTQ have been invited to read for the role.
The series premiered last fall and was the first superhero series in television history to feature an LGBTQ character as the main role. Last month Rose revealed that she was exiting the show.
