The synopsis for Batwoman‘s season 1 finale teased an appearance from “one of Gotham’s former heroes.” And while most people figured that the Dark Knight was too obvious, especially since introducing him would obviously take the focus away from Kate Kane/Batwoman, it turns out that’s exactly what we got. Well, kind of.
Yes, as you no doubt know by now, Alice ended up giving Tommy Elliot/Hush a new face: Bruce Wayne’s. It was a great twist to leave the first season on, and had many feeling hopeful for the next run. But the show has now hit a major setback as lead actress Ruby Rose has quit, departing the titular role after only one season.
Batwoman will indeed be returning for another outing, but when it does, it won’t be Rose in the role, as it’ll now be recast. This incredibly surprising news comes courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter and explaining her decision, the actress had the following to say:
“I have made the very difficult decision to not return to Batwoman next season,” said Rose. “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. 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.”
Meanwhile, The CW, Warner Bros. TV and Berlanti Productions had this to add:
“Warner Bros. Television, The CW and Berlanti Productions thank Ruby for her contributions to the success of our first season and wish her all the best. The studio and network are firmly committed to Batwoman’s second season and long-term future, and we — along with the show’s talented creative team — look forward to sharing its new direction, including the casting of a new lead actress and member of the LGBTQ community, in the coming months.”
It’s unclear exactly why Rose has departed, but Deadline claims that it’s not because of the serious injury she sustained while filming the first season, which left the actress “facing paralysis and needing emergency surgery.” Unfortunately, though, the outlet didn’t offer a definite reason for Rose’s exit, leaving fans to speculate on why she may have left.
As of yet, there’s no word on who may step in and replace Ruby Rose in Batwoman, but The CW certainly has time to fill the role, given that the show won’t return until next year. Still, this is certainly surprising news and we can only hope that everything is alright with the actress and that the series will continue to prosper after setting up what looks to be a very exciting second season.