‘Batwoman’ showrunner Caroline Dries has insisted she won’t be killing off Kate Kane after Ruby Rose’s exit from the series.
The CW series was thrown into chaos last month when lead actress Ruby announced she would be stepping down from the role of Kate Kane and her alter-ego, the titular Batwoman.
Last week, it was confirmed Ruby’s character would not be recast and instead would be leaving the show, where she will be replaced by a new character named Ryan Wilder, who will take over as the new caped crusader.
And whilst rumours have been swirling about the fate of the character in the upcoming season, the show’s boss Caroline has confirmed she will "never erase" Kate’s storyline, and has "no interest" in the "Bury Your Gays" trope.
She wrote in a statement posted to Twitter: "As a lesbian who’s been working as a writer for the past fifteen years, I’m well aware of the "Bury Your Gays" trope and I have no interest in participating in it. My comments about recasting Batwoman have launched a storm of rumours and misinformation and I wanted to clarify something. Like you, I love Kate Kane – she’s the reason I wanted to do the show. We’ll never erase her."
Caroline went on to say Kate’s "disappearance" from the show will form one of the "mysteries" of season two.
She added: "In fact, her disappearance will be one of the mysteries of season two. I don’t want to give away any of our surprises, but to all our devoted fans, please know that LGBTQ+ justice is at the very core of what Batwoman is and we have no intention of abandoning that."
Meanwhile, a casting notice was recently put out advertising the new character Ryan Wilder, as show bosses described her as a woman in her mid-20s who "is about to become Batwoman".
The notice read: "She’s likeable, messy, a little goofy and untamed. She’s also nothing like Kate Kane, the woman who wore the batsuit before her.
"With no one in her life to keep her on track, Ryan spent years as a drug-runner, dodging the GCPD and masking her pain with bad habits. A girl who would steal milk for an alley cat could also kill you with her bare hands, Ryan is the most dangerous type of fighter: highly skilled and wildly undisciplined.
"An out lesbian. Athletic. Raw. Passionate. Fallible. And very much not your stereotypical All-American hero."