How Should ‘Batwoman’ Handle Recasting After Ruby Rose’s Exit? (POLL)
Ruby Rose is hanging up her cape after one season of Batwoman.
The actress is leaving the CW drama, and given that she played the titular character, it’s no surprise the series is recasting Kate Kane/Batwoman.
“Warner Bros. Television, The CW, and Berlanti Productions thank Ruby for her contributions to the success of our first season and wish her all the best,” Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television said in a statement.
“The studio and network are firmly committed to Batwoman‘s second season and long-term future, and we — along with the show’s talented creative team — look forward to sharing its new direction, including the casting of a new lead actress and member of the LGBTQ community, in the coming months,” they continued.
While the Season 2 premiere is still at least months away — right now, Batwoman is set to return in January 2021 — we’re taking a look at the ways that the series can explain the recasting and asking you to vote for what you want to see.
(Dean Buscher/The CW)
Face Transplant
Somewhat fortunately, there’s a built-in way to swap a person’s face right in the show. In fact, it played a significant role in the end of the season. Alice (Rachel Skarsten) gave Hush (Gabriel Mann) the new face he wanted — Bruce Wayne’s (Warren Christie) — in the last scene. The villain could just as easily do the same with her sister for nefarious purposes, maybe even just to mess with her.
There could even be a quick news broadcast to kick off the new season — “Kate Kane has been found after X weeks/months in Alice’s clutches, but she’ll never be the same …” And this could even be used to further Jacob’s (Dougray Scott) against the masked hero he doesn’t know is his daughter. “Where was Batwoman?” the world could be asking. He could think the vigilante failed his daughter and be even more eager to take her down.
Or someone else could be behind the face transplant. We have no idea who might be introduced in the second season who could use Alice’s tricks… like, say, Safiyah? Executive producer Caroline Dries did say that she would be Alice’s “match.”
Safiyah
We heard about Safiyah throughout Season 1, but she’s set to enter the picture next year. The EP also teased that Julia (Christina Wolfe) and Alice would have her as a common enemy, and just imagine if Safiyah has something to do with changing Kate’s appearance. Julia and Kate are still close, and Alice could be annoyed that someone else went after her sister when she wants to be the one to stop her.
(Sergei Bachlakov/The CW)
Barry Messes With the Timeline
Barry (Grant Gustin) changed things over on Arrow — fortunately, “Crisis on Infinite Earths” brought back baby Sara and kept JJ after he changed Diggle (David Ramsey) and Lyla’s (Audrey Marie Anderson) daughter to a son by changing the past — so who’s to say that something can’t go wrong next season on The Flash and affect Batwoman? Maybe in trying to create the artificial speed force to save his speed, he accidentally travels back in time and somehow Kate looks different when it’s all said and done.
A Quick Nod or Nothing at All
Maybe the show won’t even address the fact that there’s anything different about Kate other than something like, “you’ve changed” or “new haircut?” Or maybe no one will say anything at all and they’ll just move forward as if the new actress was in the role the entire time.
A Meta or Alien Intervenes
Remember, Batwoman, The Flash, Supergirl, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, and Black Lightning (and the upcoming Superman & Lois) are all on the same Earth now. Maybe a villain we’d be more likely to see on one of the other shows comes to Batwoman to open up the season premiere and the ensuing fight leads to a change for Kate.
Some Other Plot Point
As a superhero series and given everything else that has happened in the Arrowverse, anything is possible.
Batwoman, Season 2, January 2021, The CW
