The CW is officially seeking a lesbian actress to fill the role of Kate Kane in the upcoming Batwoman TV series.
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The latest addition to the Arrowverse will feature a version of Kate Kane closely based on the modern iteration in the comics, including her sexual orientation. To that end, sources told TVLine that producers want to hire a lesbian actress to best represent Kane on the screen.
Whoever they choose, The CW will have to cast someone as Kane soon. She will reportedly be introduced this fall when the existing CW superhero shows come together for their annual crossover. Like many of the other titular characters, she will find her way into the story on the established series so that the hype is at a high when her show begins the next season.
Batwoman is currently in development. Assuming it gets picked up, it will reportedly air in 2019. At that point, Batwoman is expected to be the first openly gay lead on a superhero show. Based on the logline provided for the new series, it may leave out Kate’s military background, which is integral to her character in the comics.
Instead, she is described as a “highly trained street fighter primed to snuff out the failing city’s criminal resurgence.” She also shares Bruce Wayne’s superpower of endless wealth and resources, as she is a a part of Gotham’s wealthy aristocracy, though she is “armed with a passion for social justice and a flair for speaking her mind.”
“But don’t call her a hero yet,” adds he synopsis. “In a city desperate for a savior, Kate must overcome her own demons before embracing the call to be Gotham’s symbol of hope.”
While she will be the first openly gay lead, Kate will join other LGBTQ characters in the rapidly expanding Arrowverse. The interconnected shows feature Sara Lance and John Constantine, who are both openly bisexual, Alex Danvers, who is a lesbian and Captain Singh on The Flash, who is openly gay.
The representation does not stop there, as Supergirl is reportedly looking for a transgender actress to play investigative reporter Nia Nal in season 4.
Fans are going wild on social media, fantasy-casting everyone from Tessa Thompson to Lucifer‘s Lauren German. While most are pleased to see the network making sure to represent Kate’s sexuality in the casting, some want to see them go further, depending on the ethnicity, religion and other groups that they associate with Kate. Some are calling for a woman of color while others want to make sure that she is Jewish.