See Javicia Leslie take over as Batwoman in trailer for season two of The CW series

Rose left the role of Kate Kane in difficult circumstances after the first season and the role became a hot potato in the industry. Show runner Caroline Dries said Leslie was the obvious choice to replace Rose for season two after her first audition: “Javicia blew everyone else away.”

The trailer immediately presents Leslie's Ryan Wilder character as the new Batwoman.

“Time to be powerful,” she says in a hushed growl.

This Batwoman is a physical and psychological powerhouse from the beginning.

As the villainous Alice (Rachel Skarsten) says: "I like the new girl. She's going to be a... handful."

https://youtu.be/4EklKyqFPNo

According to Deadline, Dries revealed at September's DC FanDome that season two would follow two major narratives: what happened to Kate Kane and the realisation that there is a new hero at work in Gotham City.

Leslie has said her starting point for Wilder/Batwoman was Eartha Kitt's purring and snarling take on the character in the '60s TV series Batman.

Leslie added that she and Batwoman share a “quirky but ‘I’m a boss if I have to be’ type of mentality” and suggested that her character would be informed by the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement and the increasingly focus of inclusivity and anti-racism.

She said: “This really had nothing to do with me and everything to do with my people and with little Black girls.”

Referring to the expanding horizon of The CW’s Arrowverse, Leslie added: “This is a great beginning to what I’m sure will be a very long journey.”

Batwoman season two will premiere on The CW in the US on 17th January 2021. It's not yet clear when it will be broadcast in the UK, although season one is currently available on All 4.

While you’re waiting visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight, or check out our guide to new TV shows 2020 to find out what's airing this autumn and beyond.