Batwoman: Everything we know about season 2 so far

With Batwoman’s second season fast approaching, let’s delve into what we know about the new episodes so far.

Batwoman was one of The CW’s biggest premieres back in 2019, and its second season is shaping up to be one of the most-anticipated returns of 2021 — especially now that Javicia Leslie has replaced Ruby Rose’s lead character, Kate Kane, promising to transform the series into something new. (And despite our initial reservations about replacing Kate Kane, what we’ve seen so far looks absolutely amazing, so consider our interest piqued.)

With a brand-new lead arriving on the show — and the disappearance of its former lead to explain — Batwoman‘s second season has plenty to cover. If the trailer is anything to judge by, it looks like it’s going to be an interesting ride for fans, meshing the former season’s storylines with a fresh origin story.

Watch the trailer for the upcoming season of Batwoman below: 

Naturally, there are a lot of questions about how Batwoman will make the jump from its first season to its very-different second one, but here’s what we do know about the upcoming episodes.

Our new lead

With Kate Kane out of the picture, Ryan Wilder will become the series’ new leading lady, diverging from the comics and bringing fans into all new territory. Although Ryan wasn’t previously in DC Comics, she’s since been added to the comic canon, but most of what we know about her is limited to her character description for The CW show.

Per CBR, the description teases a main character who has had a difficult life that’s made her a skilled fighter:

"“She’s likable, 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.”"

It’ll be intriguing to see how Ryan finds her way into this world of superheroes and how she gets along with the already-established characters, especially having grown up so differently than them. On top of that, Ryan’s likely to have a better idea of what the average person living in Gotham needs — meaning she’ll be more than equipped to serve the city.

The Plot

How exactly Batwoman intends to transition from Kate’s story to Ryan’s remains a mystery, but there is one clear plotline the show’s creators have touched on (and the trailer seems to confirm they’re going this route in season two): figuring out what happened to Kate Kane.

Rather than kill off Kate Kane and engage in the “Bury Your Gays” trope, showrunner Caroline Dries has confirmed that the second season of Batwoman will focus on Kate Kane’s disappearance from Gotham, with the characters searching for her. Of course, Ryan will be wrapped up in all of this somehow, but that’s the mystery: how exactly she’ll come to put on the Batsuit.

Outside of the Kate Kane mystery, the trailer makes it clear that Alice is still making villainous plans, and the show’s casting suggests viewers will meet Safiyah this season as well. We don’t know what the villains will be up to just yet, but one thing seems certain: Ryan is going to have a lot to contend as she picks up the mantle.

The Cast

In addition to Javicia Leslie joining the series as Ryan Wilder, Shivani Ghai will also be coming on board as Safiyah, one of the Big Bads teased throughout season one. In the comics, Safiyah is a love interest of Kate’s and has a pre-established relationship with Alice, so it’ll be interesting to see how all of that factors into the show.

Leah Gibson and Nathan Owens will also play recurring characters in the second season of the series, tackling the roles of Tatiana “The Whisper” and Ocean, respectively. Tatiana is one of Safiyah’s assassins, which means she’ll probably be arriving in Gotham ahead of her leader or alongside of her. Meanwhile, Ocean

As far as returning cast members, most of Batwoman‘s major players are returning for its second outing. Camrus Johnson, who plays Luke Fox, and Nicole Kang, who plays Kate’s step-sister Mary, both appear to have prominent roles in the search for Kate. Meagan Tandy (Sophie), Rachel Skarsten (Alice), and Dougray Scott (Jacob) will also be reprising their roles.

Premiere Date

Following a long delay thanks to production shutdowns this year, Batwoman will finally return on January 17. It’s the first Arrowverse show to premiere following the franchise’s hiatus during the latter half of 2020, with Superman and Lois following about a month later.

There’s also a crossover planned for Batwoman and Superman and Lois, which fans can expect sometime this year. (With any luck, the two series will start setting up that event as soon as possible — because it’s been way too long since we watched Crisis on Infinite Earths!)

Are you excited for Batwoman season two? Tell us what you’re most looking forward to in the comments!