(Warning: This article contains spoilers for last night’s episode of Batwoman.)
Since the plane carrying Kate Kane exploded at the beginning of the second season premiere of The CW’s Batwoman, the lingering question of the series has been what happened to her. As characters like her sister, Alice (Rachel Skarsten), and the new Batwoman, Ryan Wilder (Jacivia Leslie), get closer to the truth, the question for viewers has become how Kate will return to the show. Last night The CW answered that question, and revealed that British actress Wallis Day has been cast as the new Kate Kane.
The ending of last night’s episode of Batwoman, “Survived Much Worse,” revealed that Kate is still alive. Badly injured and with her face heavily bandaged, Kate is apparently being held prisoner somewhere underground in Gotham. The image of Kate at the end of the episode is startling and, frankly, unpleasant, but also sets up an explanation for why Kate will look different later on.
Day replaces original Batwoman star Ruby Rose as Kate Kane, following Rose’s departure at the end of the show’s first season. As she appears at the end of the episode Kate looks to be in no condition to retake the mantle of Batwoman anytime soon, but the question still remains of what will become of Ryan Wilder once Kate is back to full strength. Perhaps Ryan will stay on as Batwoman and Kate could adopt an identity somewhat reflective of her return from the dead: Flamebird, a name in the comics worn by Kate’s niece Bette during occasional outings with Batwoman.
Batwoman will not be the first DC Comics-related project for Day, who was a series regular on Syfy’s Krypton as Nyssa-Vex for the show’s two-season run.
Batwoman airs on Sunday nights at 8PM Eastern/Pacific on The CW.
