Batwoman may now be the most divisive Arrowverse show. It was a huge shock when the news of Ruby Rose’s departure was announced after season 1 last May. Rose's exit as the titular character initially put the future of Batwoman in jeopardy and many fans wondered how the Arrowverse series would bounce back after such a huge loss. After all, without Kate Kane driving the story, how could the series even work? While there was some speculation that the role of Kate would simply be recast, showrunner Caroline Dries confirmed that there would instead be a new, original character stepping into the boots of Batwoman for season 2. 

Enter Ryan Wilder, a woman who would be inheriting the mantle of Batwoman in the wake of Kate's disappearance. It wasn't long after that The CW cast Javicia Leslie in the role, making her the first Black woman to ever play Batwoman. Leslie's casting was a bright spot for representation and the actress' overwhelming joy over playing the role was prevalent across social media and in every interview she gave thereafter. Still, despite the fact that Batwoman season 2 was back on track with a new lead, fans wondered what would happen to Kate Kane, the season 1 storylines left unresolved, and the character relationships — the friendships, trust, and depth — Kate had spent an entire season building. 

Related: Batwoman Season 2 Teases Kate Kane Is [SPOILER]

Prior to season 2, no one really knew how Ryan would work out as the new Batwoman and many mourned the loss of Kate’s potential, and connection, to the vigilante and her mythos from the comics. The premiere of Batwoman season 2 proved that the series could, in fact, live on despite Kate’s absence. The writers even found a way to link Ryan to Alice (Rachel Skarsten) and her Wonderland gang, provided a history between her and Sophie Moore (Meagan Tandy), and revealed a shared experience with Mary Hamilton (Nicole Kang). In short, Ryan filled the empty spot of Batwoman quite well and she proved that she could carry the mantle with ease and grace while maintaining connections with the rest of the characters. 

Kate Kane in the Batwoman suit

However, Ryan being an original character whose backstory and villains are not drawn from DC Comics has been a sticking point for some fans. Whereas the Green Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and Black Lightning all have ties to the comics, the new Batwoman does not. While Ryan did have her official comics introduction in 2020’s Batgirl #50 — where she crosses paths with Barbara Gordon, whom Ryan has known since she was a child — her character addition is fairly recent by comparison and does not yet have a Rogues’ gallery of villains or any specific arcs to adapt to Batwoman.

That complicates matters since the writers will have to come up with new storylines for her and use villains who are more closely connected to the past of Kate’s Batwoman. To be completely fair, however, Arrow employed a lot of Batman’s villains like Ra’s al Ghul, his daughter Talia, and Deadshot rather than relying primarily on Oliver Queen’s own Rogues’ gallery from the comics. Plus, Oliver’s TV personality was more in line with that of Bruce Wayne than his comics counterpart. So, while criticisms of Ryan’s lack of comic book history are valid, the new version of Batwoman, like Arrow, can exist and flourish without having to rely on a comics background. 

Speaking of Batman, many fans saw Ryan’s arrival as a squandering of any hope that the Dark Knight would return to take over the reigns as Gotham’s savior in the wake of Kate’s absence. Warren Christie’s casting and subsequent introduction as the Arrowverse’s Bruce, who was actually Tommy Elliot masquerading as his childhood friend, at the end of Batwoman season 1 had the potential to lead to Batman’s comeback. Fans hoping that Rose’s departure would make Batman a more permanent fixture on the show were disappointed when it was revealed that Ryan would be filling in the spot of Gotham’s resident hero. While that would have admittedly been fun (at least for a while), Batman’s definite return to the city would have changed the entire premise and title of the series, as well as taken away the spotlight from the female lead of the show. 

Ryan Wilder in the Batwoman costume

More realistically, some fans were angered at the possibility of diminishing Kate’s legacy now that she’s been replaced by an entirely different character. Obviously, Kate is most intrinsically tied to the mantle of Batwoman, a role she originated and made her own. Through her role as the superhero, Batwoman explored what it was that drove Kate and dug deeper into her relationships with the characters, all of whom were tied to her in various ways. 

The fact that she was being replaced by an entirely new character frustrated many Batwoman loyalists who had wanted to see the remainder of Kate’s journey as the vigilante. After all, the series originally promised to follow the story of Kate Kate. Fans figured that a recasting of the role would at least keep to that vow, but that is no longer the case. Whereas Kate was Bruce’s cousin and therefore had a direct connection to his enduring legacy as Batman, Ryan doesn’t have that tether and is altogether removed from the Wayne/Kane family. In that vein, it’s understandable why fans of Kate’s Batwoman would be upset regarding the change and it may have led some fans to leave the series behind in season 2. 

To be sure, Rose’s departure put Batwoman in a sticky situation and one can surmise that Kate’s story would have continued uninterrupted had the actress remained with the show. While the decision to replace Kate with Ryan as Batwoman has certainly been divisive among fans, Leslie is bringing her all to the new role and the writers have figured out a way to transition from one Batwoman to the next with relative and surprising ease. Were all fans pleased with the decision to bring in Ryan Wilder? Certainly not, but that always seems to be the case no matter which superhero show is being discussed. However, Batwoman managed to turn an unprecedented situation around by offering fans something entirely new and that’s pretty impressive regardless. 

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