Ruby Rose says 'Batwoman' exit was partially due to the coronavirus lockdown, production delay
The actress left the role after just one season, forcing the network to replace her
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ruby Rose partially blamed the coronavirus pandemic for her decision to leave her starring role on “Batwoman” after just one season.
It was announced in May that Rose, who took on the role of Kate Kane in the popular connected “Arrowverse” series on The CW, would not reprise her role as the character in Season 2, forcing the network to recast her.
The actress previously said that a back injury played a big part in her decision to leave. However, speaking on SiriusXM’s “The Jess Cagle Show,” the actress explained that the COVID-19 lockdown forced her to reflect on her role in the series and whether she wanted to continue.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“It wasn’t that,” she said of the injury. “I mean that definitely made going back to work so quickly tricky, but they really accommodated trying to help me out as best they could going back so early because they obviously wanted to meet the release date of the show.”
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Ruby Rose explained that the coronavirus pandemic made her rethink returning to The CW's "Batwoman." (Colin Bentley/The CW -- © 2020 The CW Network, LLC)
She continued: “I think what played a bigger part was more that we got shut down early. We didn’t get to finish the first season, which is such a shame, especially for a first-season show. Then we went into lockdown with COVID and I think, you know, in quarantine and lockdown there was a lot of thought and reflection, kind of everyone did it. We all kind of thought about where we’re at and so did Warner Bros. and Greg [Berlanti].”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Despite her decision to bail on the role of Batman’s cousin, Rose says she’s proud of the new ground on TV that the show covered.
“I had a great time on 'Batwoman,' I’m so proud of what we achieved. We set out to achieve something pretty significant. The first-ever live-action Batwoman, the first ever out gay superhero,” she said. “I love that character and that whole experience but we did have a discussion and we kind of mutually agreed that probably what was best for the show at the time was that they go in a different direction and I go in a different direction.”
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}She also noted that she still plans to tune into Season 2.
“I’m really excited to watch Season 2, I think the show is great. I love the cast and I’m still in contact with everyone. But it was a decision that we talked about, we discussed, we slept on. But, at the time, with all that reflection it just seemed like the right thing to do.”
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}It was announced in July that the show opted to retire the Kate Kane character rather than recast her. “God Friended Me” actress Javicia Leslie was cast to take over the Batwoman costume and fight crime in the “Arrowverse” Gotham City as the character Ryan Wilder.