Batwoman has found a new Kate Kane.
According to a report from Deadline, the fan-favorite Arrowverse series (which is currently airing its second season on The CW) has enlisted Krypton and The Royals star Wallis Day to play the beloved lesbian DC Comics character.
"Wallis Day is going to be playing our altered version of Kate Kane, and she’s an amazing actress," Batwoman showrunner Caroline Dries said in a statement, reported by ComicBook.com. "I’m excited for you guys to see the journey that she endures."
The role of Kate was previously played by Aussie actor and Orange Is the New Black alum Ruby Rose, but after her highly-publicized departure from the show, the character, and her fate, was faced with some uncertainty. Instead of recasting from the beginning of season 2, Batwoman decided to hand over the heroine mantle to a new character named Ryan Wilder, played by bisexual actress Javicia Leslie, making her TV's first Black actress to play the iconic role.
"I am extremely proud to be the first Black actress to play the iconic role of Batwoman on television, and as a bisexual woman, I am honored to join this groundbreaking show which has been such a trailblazer for the LGBTQ+ community," Leslie, who was previously known for her role in CBS' God Friended Me, told Variety in a statement when the news of her casting first broke last year.
While many assumed Kate was dead, hence Ryan taking over the Batwoman persona, Deadline also reports that the second half of season 2 will get to explore what she has been up to and what happened to her, now that Day (who is most know for playing series lead Nyssa-Vex in SyFy's DC Comics series Krypton) is stepping into the role as an "altered" version of Kate Kane who is still very much alive.
While we're glad to see such a beloved character get a new life with a new actress, we're even more glad that Batwoman is avoiding the whole "bury your gays" trope and that Kate Kane is, in fact, still around and kickin' in the Arrowverse.
