Batwoman Star Javicia Leslie Shows Off New Costume in Season 2 Photos

The CW has released a new batch of Batwoman promotional photos ahead of the January 17 season [...]

By Russ Burlingame - December 18, 2020 06:25 pm EST

The CW has released a new batch of Batwoman promotional photos ahead of the January 17 season premiere, which will be titled "Where is Kate Kane?" The title will tie into a season-long mystery, since original series star Ruby Rose backed away from the show following the season one finale, and rather than recasting Kate, producers opted to bring in a new character to be the new Batwoman. Named Ryan Wilder, the heroine will now be played by Javicia Leslie, and you can see Wilder both in and out of costume in the photos below, along with several other shots of the world of the Arrowverse's Gotham.

The new costume, as designed by frequent Arrowverse costume designer Maya Mani, features shorter boots, more red (primarily in the form of covers for her gloves/gauntlets), and curly hair that better suits Leslie's natural appearance. The hair itself is streaked with red to give it the same red-black fade that the costume's cape has had in the TV iteration.

The character's connection, if any, to Kate Kane's backstory is as-yet-unknown. Certainly if the first season of Batwoman taught us anything, it's that seemingly everyone in Gotham has connections to Kate somewhere along the line.

BWN201fg_0029r — (Photo: Warner Bros. TV/The CW)

Per her original character description, Wilder "is about to become Batwoman. She's 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. A girl who would steal milk for an alley cat 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."

Batwoman's second season is currently in production for an early 2021 debut. The first season of the seris is available on DVD, Blu-ray, digital on-demand services, and to stream with a subscription to HBO Max.