LGBTQ+ fans beamed with pride when the CW network announced a queer person would star as one of the TV and comics world’s most storied heroines. But after one season of Batwoman’s run, Ruby Rose will not reprise her role as the show’s title character.
Batwoman had already been renewed for a second season, which will continue on, and the network has yet to announce who they will recast in place of Rose. It’s unclear when the second season will move forward with production, as Batwoman has been forced to suspend production due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I have made the very difficult decision to not return to Batwoman next season. 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,” Rose said in a statement. “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.”
Rose continued, “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.”
The actress has not announced why she departed Batwoman, but according to Deadline, both Rose and show producers have indicated that her exit is unrelated to a back injury she sustained during the filming of the first season. After performing stunts, Rose said in an Instagram post that she herniated two discs that were close to severing her spinal cord, causing chronic pain that at one point began to erode her ability to feel her arms. She underwent emergency surgery in order to prevent paralysis.
Although her health wasn’t a factor, multiple sources say it all comes down to the show not being the best fit for Rose. Variety reports that unnamed sources said Batwoman required long hours from the leading role, and the demands were creating tension between Rose and the show’s producers. The decision to part ways was allegedly mutual, although Rose, the CW network and Warner Bros. Television have not confirmed the circumstances.
Rose, who identifies as both lesbian and genderfluid, and continues to use feminine pronouns, first rose to fame as an Australian model and television personality before making a big splash in Hollywood. She was first introduced to audiences in the U.S. while playing the role of Stella Carlin on the third season of Orange is the New Black. But as she told Entertainment Weekly last year, her identity has also been a source of confusion and even backlash for some fans.
With Rose’s departure from the action-packed program, the show’s executives have committed to recasting the starring role and to doing so with an LGBTQ+ actress. Whoever takes the lead next will have quite the catsuit to fill.
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