Well, it looks like rumors of Kate Kane's demise have been greatly exaggerated.
Tonight's installment of Batwoman revealed that despite Ruby Rose abruptly leaving the series last season, her character is still very much alive, but is unrecognizable due to the severe injuries she sustained in the plane crash, and is now being held prisoner somewhere in Gotham City.
While fans will likely have to wait a little longer to catch up with her, Deadline is reporting that Wallis Day (Krypton; The Royals) has been cast as the new Kate Kane and will have a significant recurring role throughout the second half of the season. However, showrunner Caroline Dries stresses that Ryan Wilder (Javicia Leslie) will remain the show's one and only Batwoman.
As for what to expect from Kate when she does make her return to the Batcave, Dries doesn't give any hints, but does give us some idea of what's going on in Ryan's head when she crosses paths with the original Batwoman.
"Seeing Ryan grow into the Batsuit has been priority one from a storytelling point of view, and it's been a beautiful journey so far witnessing Ryan take on that mantle, and she's proven to the city by episode 8 that she is Batwoman. She belongs in the suit. And when Kate comes back, and when they discover Kate's back, that confidence will be rattled a little bit, and she'll start to wonder, "Well, where do I fit?" And so while the city believes in her, full-heartedly, Ryan will go through her own journey of learning to believe in herself, and that's really something we focus on towards the latter part of season two."
Wallis was a standout on the acclaimed, albeit short-lived Syfy DC drama Krypton, and was among the more popular fan castings for the role early last year. While this didn't ultimately play a part in her landing the role, Dries revealed that Day initially auditioned for Ryan before later being brought back to audition for Kate.
Check out the promo for episode nine, titled "Rule #1," below:
At the end of the first season, Crows Commander Kane has declared war on Batwoman, forcing everyone around them to choose sides. Meanwhile, Alice is focused on acquiring the one thing that can take down the Bat, with the help of Bruce Wayne’s former best friend Tommy Elliot, now terrorizing the city as the villain Hush. Season two kicks off with a major game-changer that will alter Gotham and The Bat Team forever. A new hero emerges from the shadows. Relatable, messy, loyal, a little goofy, Ryan Wilder couldn’t be more different than the woman who wore the Batsuit before her, billionaire Kate Kane. Living in her van, Ryan has been made to feel trapped and powerless by the system her whole life, and believes the Batsuit is the key to breaking out of it. But what she’ll come to discover is that it’s not the suit that makes Ryan Wilder powerful, it’s the woman inside of it who finds her destiny in changing Gotham City for good.