As always with the DC properties, the biggest hang-up with their television shows is what characters they are allowed to use because the confounding executives at Warner Bros demand that certain properties can only be used on the big-screen, fearing audience “confusion” or some other nonsense if they were to see a different version of a character on TV than what appeared in theaters. It has been a pain point for the CW’s crop of DC series since the beginning of ‘Arrow,’ and continues to plague the network as they attempt to launch their newest series, ‘Batwoman,’ as fans begin to ask HOW they plan on doing a show, based in Gotham City, with a member of the Bat-family, without Batman. Of course it is made all the more ironic since currently there is no actor filling the Bat-boots on the big screen at the moment, but I digress.
Fortunately for all the fans, the creatives behind the CW shows have gotten very inventive with working within the confines of the ludicrous Warner Bros rules regarding the DC properties, and it sounds like they have a pretty good take on what to do with ‘Batwoman’ to explain Bruce Wayne/ Batman not being present.
While speaking to The Wrap recently, executive producer Sarah Schechter spoke on the ideas behind the show and Batman’s absence (apparently he has been gone for 3 years in the world of the show), explaining:
“It’s a post-Batman Gotham City. What is it like after these heroes leave?…Batman is missing. What does that do when your heroes are gone and who steps into that void? What’s great about the restriction of just focusing on Batwoman is that we have to build a world for our character. It’s a character that people don’t really know.”
Schechter also talked about how the show planned on presenting a new version of Gotham City that would differentiate itself from what we have already seen in Tim Burton, Joel Schumacher, and Christopher Nolan’s films, not to mention on ‘Gotham‘ over on FOX:
“[Gotham City] becomes these sort of Rorschach tests of the worlds that we live in when we make them, and the people who create them. The Gotham we talk about [in “Batwoman”] kind of reminds me of Johannesburg during apartheid. There’s a real difference between those that have and those that don’t.”
The need for shows like ‘Batwoman’ on the CW becomes apparent when you think about the fact that ‘Arrow’ is current going into Season 8, and ‘The Flash’ into Season 6, meaning they are both approaching an age where cancellation and finales could happen. And with the CW’s main brand being these DC superhero shows, there needs to be a new generation of heroes to take up the mantle.
This was confirmed by CW president Mark Pedowitz during the Television Critics Association press tour this month where he stated:
“Things will age and we want to get the next generation of shows to keep The CW DC universe going for as long as possible.”
Personally, I have high hopes that Batman’s absence will not hinder ‘Batwoman’ all that much, though I do worry about just how many DC series the CW can support before the quality dips too low. Already ‘Arrow’ and ‘The Flash’ seem like they are just about ready to call it quits (neither has ever really been as good as their first two seasons), though I wonder if the CW might keep those characters in reserve for special events and cross-overs if they ever do get cancelled.
What are your thoughts on a Batman-less ‘Batwoman?’ Should the series be picked up (which seems VERY likely), will you be tuning in? Feel free to share your thoughts below!
Also, here is the synopsis (as is being reported now) for the series:
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.
