Javicia Leslie is Ryan Wilder, AKA, Batwoman

[Trini]

Descriptions from the press:

" Ryan Wilder is about to become Batwoman. She's relatable, messy, loyal, a little goofy, and apart from being a lesbian, she couldn't be more different than the woman who wore the Batsuit before her, billionaire Kate Kane. Ryan, who we meet living in her van with only her plant for company, has been made to feel trapped and powerless by the system her whole life, and believes the Batsuit is the key to breaking out of it. But what she'll come to discover is that it's not the suit that makes Ryan Wilder powerful, it's the woman inside of it who finds her destiny in changing Gotham City for good. "

" 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. ...

... 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. "

" Ryan is a street-smart lesbian and martial arts expert who grew up in Gotham City group homes until a woman adopted her. They didn't have money, but they had each other, which is all Ryan ever needed. But, this is a superhero story after all, so tragedy eventually struck, thwarting Ryan's happiness. Sometime later, Ryan got arrested for a drug crime she didn't commit. In a typical Batman story, she's the type of youngster Bruce would take under his wing as Robin (á la Dick Grayson or Jason Todd) because of her hard knocks background and fighting skills. But Batwoman pushes the Bat mythos forward by making Ryan the Bat hero; she's not playing second fiddle to anyone.  "

" "While Bruce and Kate were interested in fighting [Gotham City's corrupt] system and social injustice, Ryan actually has experience being stuck in that system firsthand," says Dries, "and I think that's actually what her superpower is." "

 

 

[Trini]

I still think it was a weird, unnecessary decision to pass the Batwoman mantle to a completely new and unrelated character, but since that was the direction they decided to take, I feel like the transition has gone as well as it can.

I like Ryan; she's somewhat relatable and someone to root for. Still hate the name, though. I like her dynamic with the Bat Team, and has good chemistry with the cast. I think they're going a little too far with making her the opposite of Kate, with all the trauma and bad luck she has had; but it's good that's she's bringing a new and different perspective and skillset to the Batcave.

[quarks]

On 2/20/2021 at 9:54 PM, Trini said:

I like Ryan; she's somewhat relatable and someone to root for. Still hate the name, though. I like her dynamic with the Bat Team, and has good chemistry with the cast. I think they're going a little too far with making her the opposite of Kate, with all the trauma and bad luck she has had; but it's good that's she's bringing a new and different perspective and skillset to the Batcave.

I also like that they have her doing actual detecting, and putting two and two together - for example, during the interrogation scene this last episode, when she was much faster than either Sophie or Jacob to realize that the guy had just made an important slip. I mean, the theory here - left behind decades ago, but still the theory - is that Batman is supposed to be the World's Greatest Detectives, with the Batfamily in general focused on detection, not just Cool Stunt Fights and a Really Awesome Batcar. It's a nice addition.

[Trini]

On 2/20/2021 at 9:54 PM, Trini said:

... I think they're going a little too far with making her the opposite of Kate, with all the trauma and bad luck she has had ...

Well, this aged poorly! Season 3 has given her more similarities to Kate.

---

This was from a while ago, but here's an feature in Vogue: France about Javicia and her martial arts training: 'Batwoman star Javicia Leslie's superhero training'

with video:

 

[tybonn]

The batman actress switch was a complete fuck up for batwoman fans. If batman was a Wayne and batwoman a Kane. There is no fear in the bat family. This new batwoman "Ryan" completely ended my love for the show. She shows fear of heights, bat's, and she can't even handle herself in fights..only a few karate lessons omg what a loser.