Batwoman -- Image Number: BWNS2_8x12_300dpi -- Pictured (L-R): Javicia Leslie as Batwoman -- Photo: Nino Muñoz/The CW -- © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

The CW Gives Us New Clues on How Ryan Wilder Will Become Batwoman

It's a new heroine's journey

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A new Batwoman is on her way to Gotham and thanks to a massive synopsis for season two, we know more about how Javicia Leslie’s Ryan Wilder will enter the show and take on Kate Kane’s Batsuit when Batwoman returns on January 17th, 2021. We also got some pretty badass new posters and key art of Ryan as well.

Batwoman -- Image Number: BWNS2_8x12_300dpi -- Pictured (L-R): Javicia Leslie as Batwoman -- Photo: Nino Muñoz/The CW -- © 2020 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Who is Ryan? How will she join the ranks of Crows, criminals, and face stealers in Gotham? And how will this relate to that fake Bruce Wayne that showed up last season? Well, here’s what we’ve been told.

In season two of BATWOMAN, when Ryan Wilder (Javicia Leslie) first discovers Kate Kane’s Batsuit, she has no idea how drastically her life is about to change.  A sassy, smart lesbian with a difficult past, Ryan sees the suit as her chance to finally be powerful and no longer a victim as she survives in the tough streets of the city.

Okay, we’ll stop you there for a second because, while I’m really excited to meet someone new to take on the Batsuit I’m not terribly comfortable with calling her a victim right off the bat, but maybe that’s just a poor choice of words. But also did Kate just, like … leave the Batsuit sitting around? Luke is going to be so mad.

But there’s a lot more.

While Ryan goes rogue in the shadows, Gotham grapples with their missing hero, believing Batwoman has fled the city after a public stand-off with Commander Jacob Kane (Dougray Scott) and the Crows.  But Kate Kane’s disappearance hits hardest at home where Jacob, Sophie (Meagan Tandy), Luke (Camrus Johnson), Mary (Nicole Kang) and even Alice (Rachel Skarsten) each struggle with the devastating news in their own way.  Meanwhile, the False Face Society tightens its grip on Gotham, distributing a perilous new drug known as Snakebite, “Bruce Wayne” (Warren Christie) finds his way home to wreak havoc, Safiyah (Shivaani Ghai) surfaces with plans for revenge, and a new set of villains descends on the city.

This confirms what we were told this summer: that Kate Kane will be missing, but not outright killed so that a new Batwoman can join the show following Ruby Rose’s exit from the series. I’m looking forward to the emotional moments we’ll get here from characters who love Kate (and who were, mostly, more likable and better actors, yeah I said it).

It’s not long before Ryan realizes how much the symbol on the suit means to Gotham, launching her on a personal journey that takes her from fledgling substitute to confident caped crusader, from living in her van with her plant to chasing villains in the Batmobile.  Ryan Wilder becomes a very different Batwoman than Kate Kane – her own Batwoman – but with the same understanding of what it means to be a hero.

This I like and I’m really looking forward to seeing how Ryan takes on this role and how she’ll find a way to connect to the people who knew both Kate and Batwoman. Of course, a lot of folks didn’t know that Kate was Batwoman. And it’s good that she’s going to have her own story and arc. We’ll find out soon enough how well it works when Batowoman premieres in a few short weeks!

(image: Nino Muñoz/The CW)

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Jessica Mason
Jessica Mason (she/her) is a writer based in Portland, Oregon with a focus on fandom, queer representation, and amazing women in film and television. She's a trained lawyer and opera singer as well as a mom and author.