When Ruby Rose decided to leave Batwoman after its first season, it left the series with a unique dilemma. While the character was eventually recast, The CW chose to find a new lead with Javicia Leslie playing a newly created hero called Ryan Wilder. It was a bold decision on the network's part, but one that divided fans and led to a steady decrease in ratings over the next two seasons.
Ultimately, the show was cancelled and season 4 won't be happening. Leslie shared her disappointment over that decision during a recent interview with Digital Spy while revealing what she would have liked to see in a new batch of episodes had The CW not chosen to pull the plug.
"Obviously, the fans would love to see more Wildmoore, which is Sophie and Ryan. I think Meagan and I would also love to continue to play that love story. We'd love to see Mary and Luke maybe spark something," Leslie said of her dashed hopes. "What we were blessed with was the ability to create a beautiful finale that, whether we came back or not, is very satisfying for all of us."
The actor also shared her take on the sort of cultural impact Batwoman had during its latest two seasons. "The cultural movement that came after Black Panther; what that movie showed was how there is a space for Black superheroes and Black comics. And so coming on the heels of that as Batwoman, we also showed that there's a space for it in TV. There's a space for it to exist once a week, every week, and there's a community for it. That community doesn't all look like Ryan."
Leslie added that Batwoman presented the chance to show "the higher-ups - the bigwigs - that there is a space for Black superheroes. There's a space for women superheroes. There's a space for gay superheroes. There's a space for all of us. And let's continue to show that diversity."
We don't anticipate The CW stepping in to "save" Batgirl, and with no more Legends of Tomorrow and The Flash nearing its end, it's hard to say where this Caped Crusader could appear in future. Gotham Knights is set to take place in its own world so there won't even be room for Batwoman there.
Are you disappointed that Batwoman has ended after just three seasons?