Earlier today, The CW announced that Kate Kane/Batwoman is on her way to the Arrowverse later this year — and opened up a lot of new possibilities in the process.
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The announcement came during the network’s annual Upfronts presentation, with the promise that Batwoman would officially debut as part of the Arrowverse’s annual crossover event. A new piece of teaser art was even shown, which shows Green Arrow (Stephen Amell), The Flash (Grant Gustin), and Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) standing in a fiery Gotham City, as Batwoman’s own “batsignal” shines in the sky.
The prospect of any of the Arrowverse shows visiting Gotham City has been teased quite a bit over the past few years (like, a lot), but the fact that Batwoman will be introduced in the process has already made plenty of fans pretty happy.
And while the crossover is still quite a ways away, it isn’t too early to speculate about what Batwoman’s Arrowverse debut could entail – and what it could mean for the beloved fictional universe in the long term. So, let’s break down a few major possibilities.
A New Take on the BatFam
Yes, after years of somewhat-shoehorned Batman references, we’ll finally get a look at the Arrowverse’s take on Gotham City — and on the family that calls it home.
Sure, some fans might be slightly disappointed that another member of the “Bat family” isn’t being introduced first into the Arrowverse. (And, by the way, the chances of that would’ve been pretty slim, with a lot of the other characters currently being used on Gotham, Titans, or in in-development DC Extended Universe films.) But with Batwoman – a character who has been begging for a live-action debut for years now – we could still get some sort of indication as to how the BatFam operates.
We know that Bruce Wayne is somewhat of a public figure in Earth-1’s Gotham City, considering the fact that Oliver Queen name-dropped him earlier in Arrow‘s sixth season. But beyond that, the Caped Crusader (and whatever other characters are in his orbit) could be referenced or adapted to in any sort of ways, even if we don’t ever meet him.
How long has the Arrowverse’s Batman been operating? Or did he hang up the cowl a while back? And what is his relationship with Kate Kane (in the latest incarnation of the comics, they’re cousins)? At this point, we don’t know — but we could very well find out. (And maybe set up that pesky Wayne Tech/Queen Industries merger in the process.)
A New Kind of Hero
Okay, let’s get back to Kate. Since details are pretty slim about how she’ll factor into the crossover, we can’t help but wonder — where is she in her hero’s journey?
In the comics, Kate’s origins are pretty complex. After suffering losing her mother and twin sister in a traumatic attack, Kate grows up to attend West Point military academy, only to be kicked out for having a lesbian relationship with another student. Kate then moves back to Gotham City, begins a relationship with Renee Montoya, and crosses paths with Batman after she saves herself from being mugged.
Because of that encounter, Kate begins fighting crime, ultimately being given her own batsuit and a bunker from her father.
Sure, some would argue for seeing Kate at the beginning of her superhero career, but it would be so much more intriguing if she wasn’t. There’s no reason why Kate couldn’t have a good couple years of experience on the other Arrowverse heroes, even the longest-running vigilantes like Oliver Queen and Sara Lance/White Canary (Caity Lotz). This would completely set Kate apart from her Arrowverse peers, and also easily forgo some of the tropes the universe falls back on sometimes.
The Potential for More Characters
Regardless of where Kate is in her journey, it’s safe to assume that she wouldn’t be the only new character that the Arrowverse’s heroes meet on their trip to Gotham City.
It’s unknown if Renee Montoya would be a part of those proceedings, as one of Arrow‘s showrunners has hinted that DC has plans for the character elsewhere. But outside of that, there are plenty of characters in Kate’s orbit who would be interesting to see brought into TV.
Could we see the resurrected version of Kate’s twin sister, Elizabeth, who later goes on to become the DC Comics villain Alice? Or maybe any incarnation of Kate’s cousin, Bette Kane, who becomes Hawkfire? At this point, nothing feels off limits.
More Diversity
While some have been hesitant about how The CW will adapt Kate Kane, at the moment it’s pretty safe to assume that her origins will be accurately represented onscreen.
For some fans, this would surely be a welcomed detail — as it would give a Jewish, lesbian female superhero a major spotlight on television.
The CW has gradually made strives towards better representation over the years (the network’s current sizzle reel is a pretty good indication of where they’re headed), there’s certainly always room to grow and improve. Bringing Kate’s particular story into television would help normalize the LGBTQ viewers who relate to her experience, while giving the entire viewership another kickass hero to root for. Considering the response that The CW audiences have had to Sara Lance, Supergirl‘s Alex Danvers, and Black Lightning‘s Anissa Pierce, there’s no reason for Kate to not have the same effect.
Maggie Sawyer
And with that, we can’t help but wonder — could one of Kate’s most notable love interests, Maggie Sawyer, play a role in the proceedings?
There’d be a few interesting ways to go about this, considering the fact that Floriana Lima played the character for a little over a season on Supergirl. While Earth-38’s Maggie ended things on a somewhat-heartbreaking note with Alex Danvers, fans still are clamoring for her to return in some way.
With that in mind, Kate’s introduction could give us some sort of insight on Earth-1’s Maggie, either through a return appearance from Lima (hopefully in a way that wouldn’t create some awkward moments for Sanvers fans), or through some sort of one-off line.
Crossover Potential
But outside of that, Kate existing within the Arrowverse opens plenty more opportunities, when it comes to little crossovers and meeting more doppelgangers.
Even though Supergirl has been on for almost three seasons, we still have yet to meet any of the series’ Earth-1 counterparts. Who knows? Maybe they’re friends or teammates of Kate’s.
And depending on how the crossover goes, maybe Batwoman could pop up here and there to partner up with some of the Arrowverse’s other heroes. It’d be pretty easy to create a new sort of “World’s Finest” crossover between Batwoman and Supergirl, or for Kate to team up with the Legends of Tomorrow. I mean, come on, it would be a missed opportunity not to have Batwoman visit World War I-era New York.
Her Own Spinoff
Depending on how the crossover comes together, and how fans respond to Kate’s arrival, a Batwoman solo series could be a legitimate possibility.
The series would give audiences a chance to see everything we just mentioned – a unique take on Gotham, an openly lesbian hero, and plenty of new characters and crossovers – week to week, in a show that would be truly unlike any other superhero show that’s currently on broadcast TV.
It stands to reason that focusing on Batwoman (and the amount of excitement she’s created since the announcement) could help breathe new life into the Arrowverse, especially if any of the other four shows decide to come to an end. Sure, the Arrowverse might not need Batman, but it sure as hell could use Batwoman.
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Are you excited to see Batwoman come to the Arrowverse? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Legends of Tomorrow is currently on hiatus. Arrow‘s season finale will air tonight, May 17th, at 9/8c, with The Flash‘s season finale airing Tuesday, May 22nd, at 8/7c. Supergirl will close things off on June 25th at 8/7c. All four shows will return some time this fall, and you can read more about their new time slots here.
