(Katie Yu/The CW)
The costume may look the same when Batwoman returns to the airwaves for its second season but the face under the cowl will be different. CW series star Ruby Rose has quit her role in the superhero series ahead of season two. She did not give a reason for the exit. The show was renewed in January and the title role will be recast ahead of its 2021 return.
Batwoman stars Rose, Meagan Tandy, Camrus Johnson, Nicole Kang, Rachel Skarsten, Dougray Scott, and Elizabeth Anweis. The show is based on the DC Comics character and revolves around Kate Kane (Rose), a strong woman who never planned to be Gotham’s new vigilante. After a dishonorable discharge from military school and years of brutal survival training, Kate returns home to Gotham City when the Alice in Wonderland gang targets her father, Jacob Kane (Scott), and his security firm. They kidnap his best Crow officer, Kate’s ex-girlfriend Sophie Moore (Tandy). In order to help her family and her city, she becomes the thing that her father loathes the most — a vigilante. With the help of her compassionate stepsister, Mary (Kang), and crafty Luke Fox (Johnson), Kate continues the legacy of her missing cousin, Bruce Wayne (aka Batman), as Batwoman.
The first season of Batwoman wrapped on Sunday night and averaged a 0.26 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 995,000 viewers. Compared to other 2019-20 CW TV shows, Batwoman ranks fourth in the 18-49 demographic (out of 19 series) and third in overall viewers.
“I have made the very difficult decision to not return to Batwoman next season,” Rose said in a statement. “This was not a decision I made lightly as I have the utmost respect for the cast, crew, and everyone involved with the show in both Vancouver and in Los Angeles.”
“I am beyond appreciative to Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Caroline Dries for not only giving me this incredible opportunity but for welcoming me into the DC universe they have so beautifully created,” she said. “Thank you, Peter Roth and Mark Pedowitz and the teams at Warner Bros. and The CW who put so much into the show and always believed in me.”
“Thank you to everyone who made season one a success — I am truly grateful,” Rose concluded.
“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,” the companies said. “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.”
What do you think? Have you been watching the Batwoman TV series? Are you disappointed that Rose won’t be returning for season two?
Pleas come back
I am with you! I am sorry to see it go: it was very well done. Altho I wished they didn’t have her shelve her ‘alternative’ sex life.
Hell Yes! I watch it in the first episode. I still can’t believe that Ruby Rose won’t return to the second season. Maybe CW/Batwoman show will get lucky when they hired the newly hired to play Batwoman(Kate Kane) for the second season. I must remember to save my money to buy the first season on DVD format.
I agree Charles. I have already bought Season 1. Watch it all the time. I had hopes that Rose would return if only for the Kate Kane roll. It’s hard to let go of the original. Replacements never are the same!
This is disappointing to read. Keep in mind CWs casting strategy of unknowns in lead roles in the Arrowverse!!! The only actor to get the lead role when already a supporting character was Barry in The Flash. The other two popular ones are the 2 guys from Prison Break. The hard part is CW is in a HUGE pinch and has too rush to find another athletic semi unknown to replace Ruby. It would be cool to see a wrestler cast but thats a long shot. I can’t think of a good choice to suggest. I’ll be very curious how… Read more »
That is wack. But I will miss her as batwoman a lot.
Yes, I am sad she leaving the series but she has look health and safety. It might too long physical hours.
In September 2019 she had emergency surgery on her spine due to injuries from doing her own stunts. It seems very likely that the surgery didn’t do enough and she has no choice but to quit physical acting roles, just like several wrestlers have had to quit their profession or also risk paralysis like Ruby.
I liked her as Batwoman, but I was a bit tired that the costuming department kept dressing her like a little boy with no fashion sense. Those baggy outfits that did nothing for her. ugh! I am also tired of Alice. I hope they give her a better villain next season.
Wow very shocked to hear this news..i really liked her in this show..it is why i have kept watching, but she has a good reason i’m sure..she will be missed..Best to her!
She will be missed, she was such a nice change from your typical super hero, I really enjoyed watching her, Thanks and Good Luck
“casting of a new lead actress and member of the LGBTQ community, in the coming months.”
This bothers me. Instead casting the best LGBTQ actress, why not just cast the best ACTRESS to the role? It’s type of mentality that destroys these shows. They should focus on making the best product possible with the best talent possible and they’ll get the viewership they’re looking for.
And the LGBTQ community outcries if they cast someone that isn’t LGBTQ. They can’t win for trying.
The problem is you get a lot of straight people getting cast for gay roles, and not the other way around. Doing it this way ensures you have proper representation.
It shouldn’t matter if you’re gay or straight? As long as the person is good this profiling of people playing rules just; because of what their preferences are in real life doesn’t make any sense it needs to stop!
When BatWoman first started I thought yes great another superhero show
But Ruby Rose made a difference the way it was written and the way she played her character you felt that even though bat woman was a super hero that she also had feelings
It will not be the same without her
But good luck Ruby Rose in all you do
she is my favorite part of the show. time to cancel or better yet, have an Alice spinoff. dump the father, the rest of the faux police force, and have batwoman as the minor character.
I am disappointed but people have to go with what they feel. It is only a TV show, I love it but if she has to leave it is her choice. It happened in the TV show Superboy 1988-1992, after the 1st season Gerard Christopher replaced John Newton as Superboy/Clark Kent for the last 3 years of the show
i confess to being pleased at this news as I just didn’t think that her casting was right and is another example of TV shows trying to force some kind of faux feminism instead of focusing on the actual strength of the character, which needs less words and more action to demonstrate what is also quite obvious from the very nature of the character.
Just needs a refocus and it will get better.
They might as well cancel it now. It lost a huge percentage of its audience already and now you have to replace the primary actress? Why bother.
I’ve never even watched this show and yet even I’m shocked by this. Maybe she has some other stuff lined up or something.
Cancel the show or have ruby rose replaced by a really good person.
They apparently are recasting