Following Ruby Rose’s Batwoman departure earlier this year, the series has now found its new Scarlet Knight.

Remember, following Rose’s exit, the minds behind Batwoman quickly moved to reveal how Rose’s Kate Kane character would not be recast, but that it would indeed be a completely new character stepping into the Batwoman mantle.

Now, via EW, God Friended Me and MacGyver’s Javicia Leslie has been cast as Ryan Wilder – aka, the new Batwoman!

On this news, Leslie enthused, “I am extremely proud to be the first black actress to play the iconic role of Batwoman on television, and as a bisexual woman I am honoured to join this groundbreaking show which has been such a trailblazer for the LGBTQ+ community.”

Batwoman showrunner Caroline Dries added, “As a lesbian who’s been working as a writer for the past 15 years, I’m well aware of the ‘Bury Your Gays’ trope and I have no interest in participating in it. That’s why it’s important to me as the showrunner to clarify any misinformation out there about Kate Kane and recasting Batwoman. Like you, I love Kate Kane – she’s the reason I wanted to do the show. We’ll never erase her. In fact, her disappearance will be one of the mysteries of Season Two.”

We’ve previously heard how Ryan Wilder will be a likeable, goody character who is nothing like Kate, and who has a murky past as a drug runner. Raw and passionate, the character is depicted as far from your usual all-smiling cookie cutter hero.

Batwoman’s second year is expected to premiere early next year.