It does feel that whenever a new actor is brought in to take over an established role that a lot of fans tend to grouse about this since the new actor tends to look nothing like the person they’re replacing, and of course this causes even more trouble. But with Ruby Rose standing down as Batwoman, as Joblo and so many others have covered, it does appear that another actress is being brought in, though she won’t be playing the part of Kate Kane. Even more obvious is the fact that she won’t be the same type of character, which means that things could be shaken up in a big way once the show airs its second season, whenever that might be. Despite any turbulence this might cause, it’s easy to think that some people might embrace this as a needed change while others will be wondering what the CW is thinking about. Well, one obvious answer is that keeping Kate Kane as the lead character is bound to go haywire since having to replace Ruby Rose is a dicey prospect since she has the kind of attitude and look that’s hard to replicate, and it really shouldn’t matter who’s beneath the cowl so long as they can get the job done. As a Reddit user describes this new Batwoman, named Ryan Wilder, via Kevin Fraser:
“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.”
So in way the character is changing in a few aspects but she’ll be keeping more or less to a couple of core concepts that have made the character of Batwoman who she is. In short, she’s a fighter with a tremendous amount of talent, attitude, and she is an outed lesbian so there’s not a whole lot of difference other than the fact that she’s largely undisciplined and less calculating in her methods. In short, she’s Batwoman without the perfectionist attitude. That might not sit well with some since those that have taken on the bat mantle are usually wound pretty tightly and are expert detectives, fighters, and all-around crime-stoppers, but bringing in someone that’s a little more of a loose cannon could be an interesting change since the whole part of being fallible is what makes a hero just a little more human. Just sidetracking for a moment, this is what Marvel heroes tend to have over DC heroes, they’re definitely fallible and tend to make very human mistakes.
This is going to be a bit of a switch no doubt for a lot of fans that were no doubt supportive of Ruby Rose in her role, but it does feel as though it might break from the norm just enough that it could be rather interesting to watch. Superheroes have usually been the rather stoic and very professional type with only a handful that have ever existed outside the norm, but bringing in someone that’s all about raw passion and comes from a rough background could be a little more interesting since she might be easier to relate to for a lot of people. That is what helps make a superhero story a little better sometimes, when people can look at the hero and actually feel what they might be going through or relate in some way to their life, despite the obvious fiction that sets them so far apart. Seeing as how Batwoman is still making her way into the world of live action and gaining more representation as she goes along it’s fair to say that a switch of character between seasons might be kind of risky, but it could also pay off in a big way if it’s accepted by the fans. So far people appear to enjoy the show, but when season 2 rolls out it will be interesting to see what folks have to say and if there’s bound to be any dissent concerning the switch, as those at DigitalSpy feel might happen.
The story behind Kate Kane’s absence should be interesting to hear as well since there’s no getting away from the fact that there will need to be some sort of explanation as to why she’s no longer there. But with a skilled writer and director there shouldn’t be too much trouble coming up with a reason why she had to be replaced and how this new character will step into the mantle.
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