SHOCKER: Ruby Rose exits BATWOMAN ahead of second season

In a shocking development, Ruby Rose has exited the eponymous role of Batwoman ahead of the CW show’s sophomore season.

In a statement, Rose described the decision to depart the series as “very difficult” and expressed her gratitude to those behind the scenes who gave her the opportunity to play Kane. No reason was given, either by Rose or by Warner Bros., for why Rose is leaving the series. Batwoman was renewed for a second season in January, and according to Warner Bros. TV, the role will be recast before the sophomore season of the show arrives in 2021.

Rose played the lead role of Kate Kane, a gay Jewish woman who is the cousin of Bruce Wayne. Like her cousin Bruce, Kane dons the caul to mete out vigilante justice in Gotham City. The first season of the series saw Kate’s transformation into Batwoman, and clash with her sister, Beth, aka the villainous Alice (Rachel Skarsten). The series has been hailed for its positive portrayal of LGBTQ characters and storylines.

Ruby Rose first appeared as Batwoman when the character was introduced in December 2018 during the CW’s Elseworlds Arrowverse crossover event. The character soon received her own series, and when Batwoman premiered it became the first CW TV series to be headlined by a lesbian superhero.

Rose faced significant challenges during her time portraying Kane. After she was cast in the role, the actress experienced significant backlash on social media, eventually necessitating the deactivation of her Twitter account. Then, during filming of the first season of Batwoman, she experienced significant injuries on set. On the Jimmy Fallon show, she explained that during the filming of a stunt which took an extended period of time, she herniated two discs in her neck, an injury that had the potential to leave her a paraplegic. Rose told Fallon that she had to have surgery for the injury, but was back to set less than two weeks later.

Like many other series, Batwoman’s 2019-2020 season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially scheduled for 22 episodes, the season concluded after episode 20, which aired on Sunday, May 17^th, 2020.