Yesterday, a leaked casting call was posted to Reddit claiming to be looking for a new series lead to become Batwoman. We held off reporting on it because it seemed like it could be very fake but this morning, after talking with our sources, it appears to be true! Kate Kane will no longer be Batwoman and a new character named, Ryan Wilder will take up the Batwoman mantle. Now, this move might leave you wondering just how are they going to pull this off? Put on your speculation hats for this one folks, somehow, Kate Kane will either die, or be convinced to no longer be Batwoman and this new Ryan character will put on the cape and cowl. The casting notice described the new character:
Ryan Wilder is a female in her mid-late 20s and the complete opposite of Kate Kane. "She's likable, messy, a little goofy, and untamed," reads the document. "With no one in her life to keep her on track, Ryan spent years as a drug-runner, dodging the GCPD and masking her pain with bad habits. Today, reformed and sober, Ryan lives in van with her plant. A girl who would steal milk from an alley cat and could also kill you with her bare hands, Ryan is the most dangerous type of fighter: highly skilled and wildly disciplined. An out lesbian. Athletic. Raw. Passionate. Fallible. And very much not your stereotypical All-American hero.
All we can say is we are shocked but excited to go on this ride with the fans! Does Alice follow through with her threats to kill Batwoman? Only time will tell. Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and in the forum! Don't forget to follow us on Twitter.
Comments
If Ryan takes on the mantel, I hope its very temporary until Kate resurfaces.
#SaveKateKane
#BatwomanisKateKane
https://www.cbr.com/batwoman-kill-off-ruby-rose-kate-kane
#SaveKateKane
#BatwomanisKateKane
#SaveKateKane
#BatwomanisKateKane
In principle I have no objection to having a second Batwoman, be it a completely new character or not. That said, I'm disappointed we won't move further forward with Kate's story after only one season. Also, I don't believe Caroline Dries has addressed this but as others have mentioned, the existing cast are nearly all family of Kate, making it harder to see how a second Batwoman will fit in and raising the question of whether the existing supporting cast will be retained. But Dries seems confident she and Berlanti have a good plan and I guess we should wait and see. It's always possible they know what they're doing.
If Ruby's exit was not mutual, then i might feel differently. Kate Kane fans should not be punished because the actress wanted to leave and the producers agreed.
Just recast and allow the new actress to take the character in her own direction.
Since Ruby left on her own (not fired), then maybe she'd be willing to appear as Kate in the season opener to at least give us a reason for Kate leaving.
https://www.givememyremote.com/remote/2020/06/06/new-batwoman-season-2-spoilers-caroline-dries-interview-kate-kane-exit/
https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/batwoman-kate-kane-exit-explained-caroline-dries-showrunner-cw
But, like everyone else, I think not recasting Kate is a really bad idea. And if the rumor CatPat posted from wegotthiscovered.com is true, then they are clearly not considering Amandla Stenberg as Kate. I know they're looking for an out lesbian for the role, and that's great, but from a character standpoint, Ryan wouldn't need to be a lesbian. Maybe, she's really... Safiyah?!?
My guess for what was likely the planned season finale is that they finally introduce Safiyah (cuz clearly, she was/is intended to be the big bad villain of season 2). And there's another reason they can't get rid of Kate - in the comics, she had a relationship with Safiyah. What's the point in bringing in Safiyah with Kate gone?!? So, I am really, really, really hoping that Caroline & team have already found our new Kate (hence the casting call was pulled), and now they're looking to cast Safiyah, under the pseudonym, Ryan Wilder.
{EDIT} I just read this: https://screenrant.com/batwoman-season-2-release-date-story/
which was released the day after the season finale, and the day before Ruby's announcement, so, not sure how much of it still holds water, but does corroborate some of my thoughts. As CatPat said, fingers crossed!