Batwoman: Javicia Leslie on Ryan Wilder’s Motivations; Preview Images

With The CW’s Batwoman set to take to the rooftops of Gotham starting this Sunday, January 17, the second season already has two scoops of danger and mystery for our folks to face. The biggest change? Kate Kane (Ruby Rose) is gone, leaving Javicia Leslie‘s Ryan Wilder to step up as the new dark knight defender. But her initiation won’t be an easy one, with Alice (Rachel Skarsten), Safiyah (Shivaani Ghai), hitman Victor Zsasz (Alex Morf), and Black Mask and the False Face Society all lined up to put Wilder through her paces. Meanwhile, Alice, Jacob (Dougray Scott), Sophie (Meagan Tandy), Luke (Camrus Johnson), and Mary (Nicole Kang) are left to pick up the pieces from Kate’s disappearance- and to find out the truth behind “What Happened to Kate Kane?”. In the following two new preview images, we see examples of just how hard Kate being gone is hitting Alice, Jacob, and Mary:

In the following interviews, Leslie explains what it is about Wilder that motivates her to take on the cowl to defend the streets of Gotham. Following that, Tandy explains how the loss of Kate impacts Sophie’s relationship with Julia (Christina Wolfe):

A Look at What’s Ahead for Batwoman Season 2

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.

Based on the characters from DC, Batwoman is from Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television with executive producers Greg Berlanti (Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl), Caroline Dries (The Vampire Diaries, Smallville), Geoff Johns (Arrow, The Flash, Titans), Chad Fiveash (The Vampire Diaries, Gotham), James Patrick Stoteraux (The Vampire Diaries, Gotham) and Sarah Schechter (Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl). Shivani Ghai (Dominion, The Catch), Leah Gibson (Jessica Jones), Nathan Owens (Devious Maids), and Alex Morf (Gotham) join the second season’s cast.