Before the first season was out, I liked Ruby Rose cast as Batwoman because of her fun role in Orange is the New Black and her being part of the LGBTQ community. Watching the actual season, I felt she was the weakest link of the show, while her American accent was unconvincing. That season mostly relied on the great acting of Alice, although over time I did get used to Ruby as Kate and enjoyed some of her parts.
I was disappointed by the announcement of Ruby no longer being part of the show, as the future of the series was uncertain, and changing the actress behind the title character was a huge risk.
I've never heard of Javicia Leslie before, so the news of her being the new Batwoman caused me to start looking her up. She seemed to be a good actress (although even mediocre could work better than Ruby - sorry about it!), she was experienced in martial arts (ready to kick ass!), and she was part of the LGBTQ community. Seeing the amount of dislikes for the season two trailer and the prevalent bigotry in the comments even further cemented her casting being the right decision.
The first episode did not disappoint. Just as in real life, a queer woman of color, she is an underdog in the series, contrasting with the wealthy lives of Bruce Wayne and Kate Kane. Superheroes are meant to empower and there is no better way to do it than to have them represent the most vulnerable and oppressed. I can't wait to see more of Javicia!
