Batwoman returns to The CW this coming Sunday, and there’ll be a new heroine under the cape and cowl as Javicia Leslie’s Ryan Wilder suits up as Gotham’s new protector following Ruby Rose’s exit as Kate Kane after a single season.
In a feature on the returning series, Entertainment Weekly has unveiled two new images featuring Shivaani Ghai’s (EastEnders, London Has Fallen) mysterious villain Safiyah, while showrunner Caroline Dries revealed that our new Batwoman will also find herself going up against mob boss Roman Sionis, a.k.a. Black Mask!
“We have a couple big bads this season,” Batwoman showrunner Caroline Dries tells EW. “One, [who] we teed up midway through last season, is this woman Safiyah, and she’s sort of Alice’s Achilles’ Heel. And ultimately yes with the False Face Society, we will see the leader of this gang as Black Mask later on in the season.”
SEE ALSO: Batwoman season 2 premiere images introduce Javicia Leslie’s new crimefighter
Black Mask was recently seen in DC Films’ Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), where he was portrayed by Ewan McGregor. He also previously appeared in live-action on the small screen FOX’s Gotham, played by Todd Stashwick. As yet there’s no word as to who’ll be taking on the role in Batwoman, but here are those images of Shivaani Ghai’s Safiyah that we mentioned earlier…
In season two of BATWOMAN, when Ryan Wilder (Javicia Leslie) first discovers Kate Kane’s Batsuit, she has no idea how drastically her life is about to change. A sassy, smart lesbian with a difficult past, Ryan sees the suit as her chance to finally be powerful and no longer a victim as she survives in the tough streets of the city.
While Ryan goes rogue in the shadows, Gotham grapples with their missing hero, believing Batwoman has fled the city after a public stand-off with Commander Jacob Kane (Dougray Scott) and the Crows. But Kate Kane’s disappearance hits hardest at home where Jacob, Sophie (Meagan Tandy), Luke (Camrus Johnson), Mary (Nicole Kang) and even Alice (Rachel Skarsten) each struggle with the devastating news in their own way. Meanwhile, the False Face Society tightens its grip on Gotham, distributing a perilous new drug known as Snakebite, “Bruce Wayne” (Warren Christie) finds his way home to wreak havoc, Safiyah (Shivaani Ghai) surfaces with plans for revenge, and a new set of villains descends on the city.
It’s not long before Ryan realizes how much the symbol on the suit means to Gotham, launching her on a personal journey that takes her from fledgling substitute to confident caped crusader, from living in her van with her plant to chasing villains in the Batmobile. Ryan Wilder becomes a very different Batwoman than Kate Kane – her own Batwoman – but with the same understanding of what it means to be a hero.
The second season of Batwoman stars Javicia Leslie (God Friended Me), Shivani Ghai (Dominion), Leah Gibson (Jessica Jones) , Nathan Owens (Devious Maids) and Alex Morf (Gotham), while Rachel Skarsten (Alice), Camrus Johnson (Luke Fox), Meagan Tandy (Sophie Moore) and Nicole Kang (Mary Hamilton) reprise their roles from season one.
Season two of Batwoman is set to premiere on The CW on January 17th 2021.