Javicia Leslie Calls Batwoman Role “a Great Beginning”

When Batwoman‘s second season arrives in January 2021, it will do so with a brand-new hero donning the cape and cowl with Javicia Leslie stepping into the series’ titular role. Leslie’s arrival as the new Batwoman is one that’s full of opportunity not only in that she will be playing the first Black Batwoman but has a chance to fully craft the character potentially over the course of years. It’s something that Leslie says is a “great beginning” and one that she’s excited about.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Leslie acknowledged the long-running nature of The CW’s Arrowverse shows — Arrow ran for eight season, The Flash is entering its seventh season in January, while both Supergirl and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow will be entering their sixth seasons — and said that she’s confident her journey as the latest DC TV hero will be a long one.

“There’s not many actors that get this opportunity to play in a world that you can continue to develop and expand on for a decade,” Leslie said. “This is a great beginning to what I’m sure will be a very long journey.”

Earlier this year, Ruby Rose stepped down from the Batwoman role after just one season. Instead of recasting the role of Kate Kane to continue the character’s story, the series decided to bring in a new character with Leslie Ryan Wilder. The character is described as likable, messy, a little goofy and untamed, she’s also nothing like Kate Kane, the woman who wore the Batsuit before her. 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. Today Ryan lives in her van with her plant. A girl who would steal milk for an alley cat and 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.

Since Leslie’s casting earlier this month, fans have been curious about how the new Batwoman will fit in with other heroes of the Arrowverse, and during DC FanDome last weekend, Leslie explained how she’s looking forward to bringing Ryan’s perspective to life.

“Already, Batwoman stands out because she doesn’t have a superpower,” Leslie explained. “Everything she uses is her intelligence and Luke [Fox] and her physical strength. So, I do look forward to playing that part from a Ryan perspective, this street kid’s perspective. From a person that saw these superheroes growing up. Because that was also really important for Ryan to see Batwoman be an out lesbian, to have her superhero role model to look up to. So, to not only fill those shoes, but to [be] with the ones that have already been doing it, I think that that’s going to be a lot for her. It’s going to be a culture shock for her, but I also think it’s really cool.”

Are you excited to see Javicia Leslie play Batwoman? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Batwoman is scheduled to return with new episodes in January of 2021.