Batwoman Actress And Character To Be Recast And Replaced After Ruby Rose’s Exit
It has been reported that not only will Ruby Rose be recast in the CW series Batwoman but the character ‘Kate Kane’ will also be replaced, following Rose’s surprise exit two days after the last episode of season one aired. It was reported, by some, that the reasons for her departure was due to the fact that working on the series was too much hard work, if that’s what you take from the article in Deadline, in which it was stated that:
‘Doing a network drama is one of the hardest acting jobs, and not everyone is well-equipped to handle the intensity and long hours involved. I hear Rose, whose most extensive previous TV gig was a nine-episode arc on Orange Is the New Black, was not happy, and the show’s team was not happy to a point where no one could see this going for another season. It was not a good fit, and the studio and the star opted to part ways.’
You can take that as you will, whether with a pinch of salt, or entirely feasible. I guess we can just leave that as conjecture. Rose herself addressed reports that she basically couldn’t handle the pressure with a statement stating:
“Don’t believe everything you read by anon sources online. Also I lived in Vancouver for a year working on the mountains when I was 18 because I love that city! I’ve also worked in other places in Canada.. perfect beautiful country.”
““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.
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.”
To be honest, we can all speculate about her reasons for leaving until the cows come home, but she obviously made a difficult decision that was right for her, and we should all respect that, get over it, and move on. So, what of the new casting? At the moment, it’s still all a bit unsure. That being said, in a statement from Berlanti Productions and WBTV, the executives of the show released a statement regarding the new casting:
‘'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.’
According to a Batwoman Reddit forum, it was reported that the new character name will be ‘Ryan Wilder’, who will apparently be a woman in her 20s ‘who is about to become Batwoman’.
Apparently she’s "likeable, messy, a little goofy and untamed. She’s also nothing like Kate Kane, the woman who wore the batsuit before her," the notice reads, according to Decider. "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. A girl who would steal milk for an alley cat could also kill you with her bare hands, Ryan is the most dangerous type of fighter: highly skilled and wildly undisciplined. An out lesbian. Athletic. Raw. Passionate. Fallible. And very much not your stereotypical All-American hero."
Yeah, I’ve already ordered a sack of salt to sprinkle on that statement. I think I’ll just wait and see and leave the forums to play with their own theories. Whoever takes over the role of Batwoman, and whomever the character will be, I wish Ruby, the show, and the next inline to the Batwoman thrown all the best for the future.
Batwoman season two is due to return to our screens in January next year, barring any delays from the recasting and the impact of the Coronavirus Apocalypse. I’ll update as and when I learn more.