DC FanDome 2021 is officially underway, spotlighting a number of notable characters under the DC Comics umbrella. The wide array of DC characters on television were showcased at the event — including, as it turns out, a special tribute to Batwing. In a video, which you can check out below, Batwoman star Camrus Johnson showcases the history of Luke Fox / Batwing, who he currently portrays on the hit The CW series.
While Johnson has been portraying Luke Fox since the series’ inception, he began to take on the superhero mantle in the Season 2 finale, and was recently given the code name of Batwing in the Season 3 premiere. In the comics, originally created by Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham, the Batwing mantle was first held in the comics by David Zavimbe, who operated as the “Batman of Africa” within the Democratic Republic of Congo. After David retired from the role for personal reasons, Luke was offered the mantle, and operated as Batwing both in Africa and Gotham City.
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“I’ve been looking forward to seeing Batwing since we decided to make Luke Fox a fundamental part of our Bat Team way back in the pilot development stages,” Batwoman showrunner Caroline Dries said in a statement when Batwing’s debut was first announced. “I can speak for Cam when I say, So has he! But this character couldn’t come out of nowhere. We built this character from a deeply personal and complicated Luke story that we began setting up in season one, and I look forward to unfolding it over the course of season three.”
“Honestly, it’s hard to explain how much it means to me to wear the Batwing suit and officially play my first superhero,” Johnson added. “The main reason I wanted to be in Batwoman was for this opportunity – to give kids like me another black hero to look up to and relate to. It’s hard not to smile when I catch myself in the mirror with the bat symbol on my chest, and I’ll keep smiling through every fight scene, every awesome stunt, and every Gotham night where Batwing is finally in the field!”
“I wanted the Batwing suit to represent the bond between father and son, to show the love and respect that Lucius Fox had for his son, Luke,” Arrowverse costume designer Maya Mani revealed. “It was conceived within the realm of a child’s imagination; the suit is a bit fantastical and based on the whimsy of a young boy’s dream – complete with rocket boosters and hidden bits that pop out! The Batwing suit represents the combined talents of a solid team who all came together and met the many challenges of encompassing lights, moving parts and the need for mobility head on, bringing this character to life.”
Batwoman airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on The CW.
