Javicia Leslie Becomes First Black Woman To Be Cast As “Batwoman”

On Wednesday, Warner Bros. Television, the CW and Berlanti Productions announced that Javicia Leslie has been cast as the new series lead of “Batwoman,” making her the first black woman to portray the role.

“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 statement following the announcement.

Leslie will portray Ryan Wilder, who in Season 2 of the superhero series will take over the Bat-mantle from Kate Kane.

Ruby Rose previously held the title of Batwoman on the series. However, back in May, just days after the first season finale aired, Rose announced that she had “made the very difficult decision to not return to ‘Batwoman’ next season.”

Leslie is widely known for her role in the now-cancelled CBS series, “God Friended Me.”

Initially, Warner Bros. announced that the role would be recast following Rose’s departure. In June, “Batwoman” had put out a casting call for a new character. After further thought, showrunner Caroline Dries decided that it was best to move forward with a new Batwoman.

Rose took to social media to express her happiness with the network’s decision to cast Leslie.

“OMG!! This is amazing!! I am so glad Batwoman will be played by an amazing Black woman. I want to congratulate Javicia Leslie on taking over the bat cape. You are walking into an amazing cast and crew. I can’t wait to watch season 2 you are going to be amazing!!” Rose wrote.