For months now, it has been known that should Ruby Rose’s performance as Batwoman in the upcoming “Elseworlds” crossover go well, that she might get her own series on The CW. Even though “Elseworlds” hasn’t aired yet, it sounds as though the network is pleased with what they’ve seen already and are moving ahead with a pilot and have begun casting six supporting characters to appear with Rose.
As usual, the names given are fake, but if you are familiar with the ‘Batwoman’ comics or with DC’s Batman line in general, they are pretty obvious. These come courtesy of That Hashtag Show:
First off, we have “Joseph”, a Caucasian male in his late 40s to mid-50s. “Joseph” is described as a former high ranking military Colonel, who instead of grieving the terrible loss of his wife and one of his daughters, formed his own army in order to make sure no one else has to ever go through the tragedy he had to experience. “Joseph” also leads a private security and logistics firm in Gotham City, called “The Crows.” He is both extremely tough, political as well as emotionless, but has one weakness in his life that makes him soften up…and that is his other daughter who he constantly tries to push away.
This is clearly Kate’s father Jacob. Kate followed in his footsteps by joining the Marines. In many ways, Jacob acts as Kate’s Alfred, monitoring her missions and feeding her intel as she needs it. Jake led the mission to attempt to save his wife and twin daughters, with Kate being the only one that seemed to make it out alive. Emphasis on *seemed*.
Next up is “Alexa” who the casting department describes as a 27-year old Caucasian who is Batwoman’s greatest enemy, basically her own personal Joker. “Alexa” is a woman who has experienced a tremendous amount of trauma in her more sensitive years. That has in turn caused “Alexa” to divorce herself from reality by living in a fantastical world where she is the star. Attached to Victorian attire, “Alexa” is a charming lunatic who manages to go from being psychotic to caring easily, which is why her unreliable behavior is a dangerous weapon in itself.
One of two “Elizabeth Kane”s on this show, Beth is Kate’s twin sister, who returned years later as the demented supervillain Alice (as in Wonderland). IT seems as though Alice’s mind is completely gone as she only speaks in lines from the famous Lewis Carroll novel, with little indication that she is even aware of her surroundings.
Next, we have “Sloane”, who is a Latina in her late 20s/early 30s. Brought up in a tight-knit family, “Sloane” is both feisty, charming and has incredible fighting abilities, with soldier experiences, as she is one of the best agents for the Crows and always goes by the book. But “Sloane” is hiding a deep secret from her husband which is that once upon a time, she was in love with Kate Kane.
This is obviously Renee Montoya, a former Gotham City beat cop-turned-detective. She later struggled with alcoholism and only pulled herself up after joining the mysterious hero The Question on a globe-trotting adventure. After his death, she donned the identity of The Question.
Renee Montoya originated on ‘Batman: The Animated Series‘ before entering the comic book universe. Rosie Perez is playing her on the big screen in ‘Birds of Prey’, but this looks like another character that Warner Brothers’ TV and film divisions have agreed to share.
Then there is “Landon”, an African-American male in his early 20s who is devoted to Batman. “Landon” comes from an imperative legacy that has serviced the Caped Crusader with engineered gadgets. With Wayne Enterprises now abandoned, “Landon” is the one keeping it secure. While he is brilliant with tech, his social skills aren’t exactly the strongest as he goes out of his way to not make friends, after being betrayed by Gotham’s bureaucracy. With the Dark Knight missing, “Landon” soon begins to understand Gotham City’s demand for a new hero.
This one is a bit of a surprise, as he isn’t a character specifically tied to Batwoman, but Lucas “Luke” Fox is the son of Batman’s longtime confidante Lucius Fox, who secretly helped supply Batman with much of his weaponry. It sounds as though Luke will serve a similar purpose on this series.
Both Batwing and Batwoman appeared in the animated movie ‘Batman: Bad Blood’ if you want an idea of how they may work together in the live action show.
Up next, meet “Meredith”, a woman in her early 20s, a role that is open for any ethnicity, with preference to Asian or Latin actresses. She is described as carrying a lovely and heavy demeanor, which makes it easy to view her as an airheaded amateur. Although she is considered talky, she is deeply compassionate toward those the city has forgotten, with her compassion only surpassed by her own intelligence. Like Kate Kane, “Meredith” will have a secret life of her own in Gotham City.
Though this description isn’t as on-the-nose as the others, it is believed that this will be a version of Elizabeth “Bette” Kane (the second Elizabeth Kane), a.k.a. Flamebird. Then again, it could be a new character.
If it is Bette, she will be an adaptation of the first character to ever go by the name Bat-Girl. This obscure character was the Bat-Girl of the 1950s, the sidekick to the 1950s Batwoman, but later replaced by the much more successful Barbara Gordon. Thanks to continuity issues, she was reinvented as Flamebird but continued to wallow in obscurity, but when the name Batwoman was revived and given to Kate Kane, as a nod to the old comics, Bette was introduced as her cousin. Flamebird did not fare well in the ‘Batwoman’ comic and was nearly killed in the line of duty. Even worse, after her recovery, she adopted the truly dreadful code name Hawkfire.
Last, but not least we have “Charlotte”, a woman in her late 40s to mid-50s who is the mother of “Meredith”, hence the same casting preferences is part of this role. “Charlotte”, a knowledgeable, fashionable, and motivated woman, comes from wealth built from an empire of dealing arms, but she uses this money with the intent on making Gotham a more secure and safe place due to the aid of her husband’s paramilitary business. Despite the fact that it is damaging “Charlotte’s” relationship with her daughter, she continues to pull the strings of Gotham City’s elite.
I personally don’t think Bette’s mother has ever appeared. So this is another indication that “Meredith” isn’t Bette but rather a different character.
What do you think of an ongoing ‘Batwoman’ series with all of these characters from the comics?
