Ruby Rose is The CW’s Batwoman!

The CW has found its Batwoman! Ruby Rose (Orange is the New Black, John Wick: Chapter 2, The Meg) has been cast as the Gotham superhero. Rose will first appear as Batwoman in the annual DC superhero crossover event as well as the Batwoman series that is currently in development from producer Greg Berlanti.

In the CW’s Batwoman, written by Caroline Dries based on the DC characters, armed with a passion for social justice and a flair for speaking her mind, Kate Kane (Rose) soars onto the streets of Gotham as Batwoman, an out lesbian and highly trained street fighter primed to snuff out the failing city’s criminal resurgence. But don’t call her hero yet. In a city desperate for a savior, Kate must overcome her own demons before embracing the call to be Gotham’s symbol of hope.

Rose, a genderfluid lesbian and activist for the LBGTQ community, wrote, produced, and starred in the short film Break Free. She received the Stephen F. Kolzak Award at the 2016 GLAAD Media Awards for her tribute to gender fluidity. Rose is known for her previous role as Stella in Netflix’s hit series Orange is the New Black, as well as kicking ass in action movies like xXx: Return of Xander Cage, John Wick: Chapter 2, and the upcoming The Meg.

The potential Batwoman series helms from Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. Dries will executive produce alongside Berlanti and Sarah Schechter. Former DC Entertainment president Geoff Johns is set to executive produce through his new Mad Ghost Productions banner.

Batwoman, aka Kate Kane, is one of several vigilantes who protect Gotham. The character was first introduced in Detective Comics in 1956 and was reimagined for DC Comics’ New 52 as a Jewish lesbian. Kane is a wealthy heiress who becomes inspired by Batman and chooses to also put her wealth and resources towards a campaign to fight crime as a masked vigilante in her home of Gotham City. Arrow and The Flash have both teased that Gotham City did exist in the Arrow-verse, such as when Amell’s Oliver Queen name-dropped Bruce Wayne during this season of Arrow.

The next CW crossover event is set to air in December 2018. If the Batwoman pilot is picked up, the series could air in 2019.

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)