Batwoman was first introduced during the Crisis on Infinite Earth event, where most of the CW superhero shows (along with cameos from the wider DC Universe) all team up to stop a world-ending event. Batwoman played by Ruby Rose, was meant to be introduced during the event, and then given her own TV show.
Taking place after the mysterious disappearance of Batman, Kate Kane decides to take up the mantel of batman from her cousin, formally renaming herself Batwoman. The show itself recive mixed reviews sitting at 79% Rotten Tomatoes, and 7/10 TV.com. Despite the critic, the show has gained a large following due to the fresh take of Gothan City through the eyes of another hero. Batwoman was also praised by the LGBTQ+ community for being an openly gay superhero.
Photo: FilmMagic
After wrapping up the first season, despite getting renewed for a second season, leading actress Ruby Rose decided to leave the role of Batwoman forcing the show to recast. According to Variety Ruby Rose wanted to leave the role due to the overwhelming TV schedule that resulting in onset clashes. While Ruby Rose had spots on Orange is the New Black, this marks her first time as a leading role for a TV show. For context filming a movie is a grueling task, that ultimately becomes a two-hour-long product, television, on the other hand, you are constantly shooting for a whole season, with small breaks in between. While it is not fair to compare both styles, there is a bigger grind for TV stars to filming an entire season.
In a statement issued announcing Rose’s departure, the studio, network, and Berlanti Productions said they would be seeking, “a new lead actress and member of the LGBTQ community, in the coming months.” With the current pandemic and the constant amount of movies and shows getting delayed, it is safe to say that the show has plenty of time to recast the role.
Stars leaving TV roles is nothing new. However, rarely do you see leading actors leaving. The most interesting part is that the CW superhero shows have become massively successful, with spin-off such as Black Lightning, and Heroes of Tomorrow earning massive viewership, CW also aired the latest spin-off Star Girl.