BATWOMAN Boss on Re-Centering the Show Around Ryan in Season 2

There’s a new hero in town when BATWOMAN returns for its sophomore season on Sunday, January 17 on The CW.

With Kate Kane (Ruby Rose, who exited the series after season 1 wrapped) missing, Ryan Wilder (played by Javicia Leslie) takes center stage in season 2. But after a first season with virtually every character directly tied to Kate, changing the storytelling focus in season 2 was an adjustment for the writers.

“Making Ryan the center of the core story of the show and having her be the nucleus of all of our characters was the biggest challenge of the [revamp],” showrunner Caroline Dries told reporters during the show’s virtual TCA panel. “I wanted a girl that nobody was connected to. We don’t have family bonds. She’s a nobody; that’s the whole point. She’s invisible, she’s lost in the system.”

“It was easier to integrate her into the Bat world and the Bat team because she’s Batwoman; they’re all working together,” she continued. “And then, as you’ll see…she has a very specific relationship with Sophie, that is friction-based and entertaining and has a place to grow over the course of the season. Ryan has a very strong outlook towards the Crows in general. It’s very specific to her. So that keeps that relationship alive.”

But, of course, the hurdle of giving Ryan’s dynamic with Alice (Rachel Skarsten), Kate’s twin sister/bitter enemy, the same kind of emotional weight loomed. “For us, the biggest challenge was how do we maintain what was so great about season 1, which was that Alice and Kate dynamic?” Dries admitted. “And I think, without giving away spoilers, we were able to are able to pull it off in a way that feels very satisfying and grounded and organic to Ryan’s character.”

Off-screen, the series is also making history, with Leslie now the first Black woman to play Batwoman—and a rare queer Black lead of a show.

“It really shows, man, we have so much work to do,” Leslie said. “Because in 2021, this should not be a first. But I’m really happy that our show creators, our producers, DC, CW, Berlanti, were all willing to take this chance and take this jump for a very much needed movement in our industry.”

“I think that representation is so important,” she continued. “When I was growing up, I didn’t see versions of myself on the screen, especially in superhero movies and television shows…To be able to be a vessel in this industry that allows other people that look like me or walk the same path, I think it’s important. We deserve to have representation. And so, yeah, it’s an honor. I’m really blessed to be a part of the beginning of this journey.”

BATWOMAN, Season Premiere, Sunday, January 17, 8/7c, The CW

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