Ruby Rose will not be playing Kate Kane for a second season. The star of The CW’s Batwoman announced on Tuesday that she has departed from the show after just one season, according to The Hollywood Reporter, with the network confirming that the titular role will be recast.
“I have made the very difficult decision to not return to Batwoman next season,” Rose said in her statement, according to THR. “This was not a decision I made lightly as I have the utmost respect for the cast, crew and everyone involved with the show in both Vancouver and in Los Angeles. I am beyond appreciative to Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Caroline Dries for not only giving me this incredible opportunity, but for welcoming me into the DC universe they have so beautifully created. Thank you Peter Roth and Mark Pedowitz and the teams at Warner Bros. and The CW who put so much into the show and always believed in me. Thank you to everyone who made season one a success—I am truly grateful.”
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The CW, Warner Bros. TV, and Berlanti Productions thanked the actor in a joint statement, adding that the new lead actress will be a “member of the LGBTQ community” and that the studio and network “are firmly committed to Batwoman’s second season and long-term future.”
The reason behind Rose’s surprise departure was not disclosed. Neither statement gave an updated airdate for the second season, which was ordered in January, or addressed whether the planned January 2021 release date is still on schedule. And although the network’s joint statement alluded to the show being taken in a “new direction,” the core creative team (including creator Caroline Dries and her fellow executive producers Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter) appears to remain unchanged.
As THR reports, the show had to shut down production early due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, leading to only 20 out of 22 planned episodes making it to air. Unnamed sources told the publication that Sunday’s makeshift finale was Rose’s last episode.
