‘Batwoman’ Star Javicia Leslie Joins ‘The Flash’ Final Season

Batwoman star Javicia Leslie
Katie Yu/The CW

Javicia Leslie, who played the titular role on The CW‘s Batwoman, is returning to the Arrowverse for the ninth and final season of The Flash.

As first reported by Entertainment Weekly, Leslie will appear in the upcoming season, though it’s not yet known who she will be playing nor if her part is a guest-starring role or a series-regular. Filming for the final season began in September 2022 and is set to conclude in March 2023.

Leslie portrayed Ryan Wilder (aka Batwoman) on The CW’s Batwoman, a role she took over from Ruby Rose in Season 2. However, the series was suddenly canceled after three seasons back in April, a move that came as a shock to fans and critics who had praised the series for being the first network TV show with an LGBTQ superhero lead.

“I was taught that words have power and we speak our life into existence,” Leslie wrote on Instagram at the time. “Well, I spoke this role into my life, and what an honor it has been to watch it play out exactly how it was meant to Family, this Bat Team is ours… HERstory was made and it can never be taken.”

This isn’t the first time Leslie has appeared in The Flash; she popped up in Season 8 of the hit superhero series, in a potential future that showed Ryan and Sophie (Meagan Tandy) happily married and considering adopting a child together.

It was announced in August that the ninth season of The Flash would be the last for the series, which centers on Barry Allen (aka The Flash), portrayed by Grant Gustin, a crime scene investigator who gains super-human speed. In addition, the final season will be shortened to just 13 episodes.

“Nine seasons! Nine years of saving Central City while taking audiences on an emotional journey full of heart, humor, and spectacle,” showrunner Eric Wallace said in a previous statement.

“And now Barry Allen has reached the starting gate for his last race. So many amazing people have given their talents, time, and love to bring this wonderful show to life each week. So, as we get ready to honor the show’s incredible legacy with our exciting final chapter, I want to say thank you to our phenomenal cast, writers, producers, and crew over the years who helped make The Flash such an unforgettable experience for audiences around the world.”

The Flash, Final Season, 2023, The CW