Batwoman needs a new star—but maybe not as soon as you’d think
Batwoman doesn’t need a permanent replacement for Ruby Rose right away
After the recent news that Ruby Rose will not be returning to The CW’s Batwoman for the series’s second season, there’s a lot of speculation about who might be the next person to take on the role of Kate Kane. But what if we all just take a step back and consider the opportunity for creativity here?
With Stephanie Beatriz from Brooklyn Nine-Nine seemingly hoping to be considered for the role, it might be easy for viewers and casting directors alike to want to nail down a new Batwoman as quickly as possible. Rushing is just not a good idea, though; and it’s also completely unnecessary.
Enough people were upset about the choice of Ruby Rose that she wound up quitting Twitter. Do we really need that kind of disaster again? How about not.
Besides, the series has already set itself up with a gold mine of ways to avoid answering the question of who the next Batwoman will be. We mention just a couple of ideas here, but there are probably plenty more that can make waiting for a new star work out well.
Alice is the best part of Batwoman, so why not let Rachel Skarsten shine?
If The Joker could be so successful as a film, why can’t a season—or at least part of a season—of Batwoman be all about Alice? Rachel Skarsten easily ran acting circles around Ruby Rose, as well as everyone else, in Batwoman Season 1. Why not reward her for it?
We already have a villain standing in for Batman, so why can’t Alice put on Batwoman’s mask and wreak havoc at Hush’s side? It’s not like Kate Kane was in the best place as the series’s first season closed anyway, so maybe she can make like her cousin and leave town for a while, thus giving the bad guys a chance to destroy everything.
Wearing different faces is well established, so what if Batwoman tries it?
The “real” Kate could be off doing whatever it is that super-rich people do, and a series of tough women could conveniently show up in Gotham and put on the suit while she’s away. It would be the first time in history that people not recognizing a superhero out of the mask would actually make sense!
Talk about the perfect audition for the role of Batwoman: All of these actors would temporarily get to live the dream of being the superhero; but only one would, ultimately, get the role in the end. Meanwhile, the series’s main focus could be on all the damage Alice creates with her fake Bruce Wayne, right up until the new Batwoman comes and saves the day.
Whoever becomes the next Batwoman will have some pretty huge shoes to fill. But with the challenge of actually being able to go toe-to-toe with Rachel Skarsten actually met, The CW’s Batwoman has the potential to be better than ever. With a little bit of patience and creativity and a whole lot of chances for the gang to play while the Bat’s away, it’s totally possible.
Who do you think should become the next lead? Is it time to focus on the villain first? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Batwoman Season 2 will premiere in January 2021 on The CW.