Batwoman season 2 has cast Shivaani Ghai as the DC villain Safiyah Sohail. The upcoming season is highly anticipated, considering what happened in the finale, as well as behind-the-scenes. The last episode finally gave a face to the Arrowverse's Batman, which many viewers thought would never happen. However, the finale paled in comparison to what happened off screen. In May, series lead Ruby Rose announced her departure from Batwoman, paving the way for a new hero to take her place.
Javicia Leslie was cast soon after. However, she'll play a brand new character, Ryan Wilder, who takes up the Batwoman mantle. Ryan will differ from Rose's Kate Kane in exciting ways. Leslie has already spoken about her character being an ordinary street kid. Despite the lead change, characters from season 1 will remain, though their connections to the new Batwoman are unclear at this point. Hopefully, more will be revealed soon, as the series just started filming season 2 last week. This is in preparation for Batwoman's return in January 2021.
Since season 2 production has begun, it makes sense the show is fleshing out its cast for the new episodes. Deadline reports Batwoman has cast Ghai as Safiyah, "the fiercely protective ruler of a small community on the island of Coryana." She'll appear on a recurring basis. The rest of her character description follows:
A woman with as many enemies as aliases, she is compassionate and charismatic with both physical and psychological prowess. She is beloved by her people and will stop at nothing to protect what’s hers. No one goes unnoticed by Safiyah, specifically when it comes to those who have encountered the Desert Rose.
Though season 2 will be the first time Safiyah has physically appeared on Batwoman, she's been mentioned often. In the comics, she has a romantic history with Kate. However, on the show, the two haven't interacted, with Safiyah instead focused on Kate's sister Alice and ex-girlfriend Julia Pennyworth. Despite never appearing onscreen, Safiyah had a big impact on season 1, even trying to kill Batwoman. She sent the Rifle in search of a weapon that could penetrate the Batsuit and also had someone stalk Julia after she displeased her. Considering the large presence Safiyah had off screen, she'll be a dangerous force in season 2.
Ghai seems like a good pick for the role, having proven herself in projects like Dominion and London Has Fallen. It's also smart to introduce Safiyah now. She's one of the only characters from season 1 who doesn't have a close connection to Kate. This should make it relatively easy for her to interact with Leslie's Ryan without having to get past any baggage. It also helps she has existing relationships with Alice and Julia, even if they were mostly fear-based. All told, Ghai is an exciting addition to Batwoman season 2.
Source: Deadline