Batwoman’s Sexuality Is Just Part of Her Story, According to Series EP

Batwoman will make history when it debuts on The CW later this year, as it will be the first superhero television series to center around an openly-lesbian main character. According to the show’s cast and crew, the topic of Kate Kane/Batwoman’s (Ruby Rose) sexuality will be handled in a very specific way. ComicBook.com was on hand for the show’s panel at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con, where showrunner Caroline Dries spoke about the subject.

“What’s important to us is Kate being gay is just another one of her traits, and we’re not going to make it that huge in the story apart from the fact that when she falls in love, it’s with a woman,” Dries explained.

In the comics, Kate’s sexuality has played an interesting role in her story, particularly with regard to her pre-Batwoman days. Kate gets dishonorably discharged from the military due to her relationship with another woman, something that will apparently be adapted to an extent on the show.

Of course, the comics version of Kate is often tied to Renee Montoya, which sparked the question of whether or not Renee will appear in the show.

“It’s too early to tell with Renee. We’re not allowed to use her because they’re using her in a movie coming up,” Dries said, referencing Rosie Perez’s portrayal in next year’s Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). “Maybe when that movie comes and goes, they’ll let us use her.”

The strong tie that fans have to Batwoman’s comic backstory is already having an interesting effect on the television adaptation, something that its star is aware of.

“It’s paying tribute to, respect to, and the honor of having the privilege to [play this role].” Rose told ComicBook.com earlier this year. “It’s everyone’s dream to be in a show or a film where you get to be in Gotham. It doesn’t really get much better than that. That’s iconic. A lot of that’s out of my hands, like how Gotham looks and feels, but my character is entirely my responsibility, as well as Caroline and the writer and the director. But having done the pilot, having lived in it, having done that every day for that month and having felt the emotions of Kate in everything that we all did, I really think people are going to be pleasantly surprised. I think that it has so much heart and so much grit and all the things you expect form Batwoman as well. The arcs and the character arcs and the true feelings and natures of these people is really layered. I’m really grateful to get to play someone that has a full-fledged backstory and real relationships, and trials and tribulations that are dealt with in a way that sometimes is a good way to deal with things and sometimes isn’t, but human and flawed. It’s therapeutic and cathartic to play that role.”

Batwoman will premiere Sunday, October 6th at 8/7c on The CW.