Javicia Leslie Makes History as First Black Actress Cast as Batwoman

*Javicia Leslie has been cast in the role of Batwoman for The CW’s series — making her the first Black actress to play the iconic character for live-action TV show or movie.

The 33-year-old actress is picking up where actress Ruby Rose left off when she exited the show after season one. 

“I am extremely proud to be the first Black actress to play the iconic role of Batwoman on television, and as a bisexual woman, I am honored to join this groundbreaking show which has been such a trailblazer for the LGBTQ+ community,” Leslie said in a press release Wednesday, per PEOPLE.

In the new season, Leslie will play Ryan Wilder, described as “likable, messy, a little goofy and untamed.”

Warner Bros. official character description said that Wilde is “nothing like “ Rose’s Kate Kane. 

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View this post on Instagram

 

For all of the little black girls dreaming to be a superhero one day… it’s possible!

A post shared by Javicia Leslie (@javicia) on Jul 8, 2020 at 3:55pm PDT

Rose announced in May that she was stepping away from the series.

“I have made the very difficult decision to not return to Batwoman next season,” Rose said in a statement. “This was not a decision I made lightly as I have the utmost respect for the cast, crew and everyone involved with the show in both Vancouver and in Los Angeles.”

Rose added: “I am beyond appreciative to Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Caroline Dries for not only giving me this incredible opportunity, but for welcoming me into the DC universe they have so beautifully created. Thank you Peter Roth and Mark Pedowitz and the teams at Warner Bros. and The CW who put so much into the show and always believed in me. Thank you to everyone who made season one a success —  I am truly grateful.”

Leslie shared the exciting casting news in an Instagram post on Wednesday, writing, “For all of the little black girls dreaming to be a superhero one day… it’s possible!”

She will make her Batwoman debut in January 2021, when season 2 returns to The CW. 

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