In the days after Christy’s release on the 2025 movie schedule, it didn’t seemingly do so great at the box office. However, Sydney Sweeney made it clear just how much she cares about the movie (and the finances aren't as dire as some are making it seem). Regardless, there's seemingly been more talk about the flick than movie tickets sold, and Ruby Rose sparked more debate when she made some blunt comments. Following that criticism, the real Christy Martin has spoken out.

Outspoken actress Ruby Rose shocked the internet earlier this week when she got candid about feeling Sydney Sweeney did not deserve the Christy Martin role. In a lengthy post on Threads, she implied people did not get out to see Christy because it did not have an LGBTQ+ lead like Martin herself, stating she feels Sydney Sweeney "ruined" the film, amongst other bold claims.

After the comments spread around the Internet, Christy Martin took to Instagram to defend Ms. Sweeney. She did not specifically name Rose in her post. However, she did say that she has “seen some people attack my friend Sydney Sweeney.” She went on to praise the actress for her work on the film and how she treated her story, writing:

This post also comes after Christy was cited as a flop. It brought in $1.3 million during its opening weekend at the domestic box office, which isn’t a great number. However, this movie was reportedly made on a budget that falls in the range of $30 to $40 million, which means it didn’t cost a fortune to create, and, thanks to international sales, it has apparently already recouped its costs.

Sydney Sweeney herself took to Instagram to write about Christy and how proud she is of it. Part of her statement read:

Both Sweeney and Martin have made their adoration for each other and this project very clear. The actress and boxer have also been doing press together, and they have attended premieres for Christy and other events together, too.

When it comes to the audience’s response to this movie, Christy has garnered mixed reviews; however, the actress’s performance has been praised by many critics, but it's also clear that some people are not happy about the movie as a whole.

Honestly, Sydney Sweeney is no stranger to controversy. There have been many conversations about her body and relationships, and earlier this year, she was part of an American Eagle jeans campaign that garnered backlash in a way that seemed like a surprise to both the company and the actress.

When it comes to the situation with Christy, Ruby Rose has strong feelings about it and Sweeney’s casting. However, both the actress and Christy Martin herself made it very clear how much they care about this movie and taking care of the boxer’s story correctly.

Christy is currently playing in theaters.

The notion of a TV show going through cast changes for one reason or another isn’t all that unusual. In some cases, an actor might choose to leave a show in order to pursue other opportunities. And, at other times, a character naturally runs their course and is written out, leading to a star being ushered out of a production gracefully. However, there have been a number of instances in which an actor has dramatically exited a popular show for more salacious reasons. And we’re going to talk about a number of those situations.

Mackenzie Phillips (One Day At A Time)

Mackenzie Phillips dealt with substance and alcohol abuse during her tenure on One Day at a Time. As her problems increased and she allegedly became erratic on set, the actress was fired after the fifth season of the Norman Lear-produced sitcom. After voluntarily receiving treatment, Philips was invited back to the series at the start of Season 7. But, as mentioned in her Biography special she was fired one more time early in Season 9.

Delta Burke (Designing Women)

Designing Women cast member Delta Burke, who played breakout character Suzanne Sugarbaker, left the beloved CBS comedy after its fifth season. At the time, Burke was having issues with series creator Linda Bloodworth-Thomason. While appearing on the Glamorous Trash podcast years later, Burke said she and the EP “tried to kill each other” but “survived.” They eventually patched things up and teamed up again for a short-lived spinoff series, Women of the House.

John Amos (Good Times) 

Fans, like myself, would probably argue that Good Times – one of the greatest sitcoms of all time – changed tremendously after John Amos’ James Evans Sr. was written out following Season 3. That creative decision was the result of Amos being incredibly vocal about his frustrations with the direction of the show and even threatening the writers. As the actor explained during an interview, series EP Norman Lear called him up personally to tell him he’d been fired. 

Rob Lowe (The West Wing)

Before he dazzled on Parks and Recreation and after rising to prominence as a “Brat Pack” member, Rob Lowe starred on The West Wing. The show was originally set to center around his character, Sam Seaborn, though the focus shifted early on. Feeling underutilized as time went on, Lowe left the show after four seasons.

Roseanne Barr (Roseanne)

Roseanne Barr’s eponymous ABC sitcom was revived for a tenth season that aired in 2018, and it saw considerable success. Following its renewal, Barr was fired after posting a tweet about former government official Valerie Janet that was condemned as being racist. Her dismissal led to the cancellation of Roseanne and the conception of a spinoff sequel series The Conners.

Janet Hubert (The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air)

Two actresses portrayed Vivian “Aunt Viv” Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the first being Janet Hubert. By the NBC sitcom’s third season, she and lead actor Will Smith began to butt heads. Both were also dealing with situations in their personal lives. Ultimately, Hubert left Fresh Prince due to getting an unsatisfactory new contract offer and, years later, she and Smith made amends during the show’s 2020 reunion.

Kevin Spacey (House Of Cards)

House of Cards experienced a significant shake-up after Kevin Spacey was accused of being inappropriate towards actor Anthony Rapp while he was still a minor. Netflix eventually cut ties with Spacey and, as a result, he was replaced as the lead of the show by co-star Robin Wright.

Charlie Sheen (Two And A Half Men)

When it comes to an exit from a TV series, few get more dramatic than Charlie Sheen’s departure from Two and a Half Men. During the eighth season of the hit CBS show, he made headlines for partaking in wild parties and even entered rehab. Sheen’s fate was sealed, however, when he made disparaging remarks about series co-creator Chuck Lorre. Men would continue for four more seasons, with Ashton Kutcher taking over as co-lead.

Katherine Heigl (Grey’s Anatomy) 

There are a lot of moving parts to Katherine Heigl’s Grey’s Anatomy exit, but it was truly set in motion after the actress kept her name from Emmy consideration in 2008. Heigl did that because she didn’t think the work she’d done for that particular season was Emmy-worthy. In 2009, the Izzie Stevens actress accused series creator Shonda Rhimes and the producers of initiating long work hours for the cast and crew. And, in 2010, amid Season 6 of the drama series, Rhimes released Heigl from her contract early.

Valerie Harper (Valerie/Valerie’s Family/The Hogan Family)

Amid the second season of Valerie, lead actress Valerie Harper became engaged in a salary dispute with both NBC and production company Lorimar. It was after that season that the Emmy winner was fired, and she ultimately sued both of the aforementioned companies for breach of contract. The series aired for four more seasons – and had two more names. But, ultimately, Harper won her case and was awarded $1.4 million and future show profits.

Robert Downey Jr. (Ally McBeal)

Robert Downey Jr. had experienced a number of personal issues by the time he was cast for Season 4 of Ally McBeal, and they continued throughout his tenure. During that season, he was arrested in November 2000 for drug possession and was taken into custody again under suspicion of being under the influence in Culver City in 2001. With that, Downey was fired from McBeal.

Jeffrey Tambor (Transparent)

In 2017, amid the MeToo Movement, Jeffrey Tambor was accused of inappropriate behavior by his former assistant. Shortly after, one of Tambor’s Transparent co-stars accused him of misconduct as well. Amazon, which had renewed the Emmy-winning dramedy for a fifth and final season, officially fired Tambor in early 2018. His character, who was the lead, was ultimately killed off in the musical series finale special.

Esther Rolle (Good Times)

Esther Rolle took issue with some of the creative decisions made on Good Times, not unlike her co-star, John Amos – who was fired after Season 3 even though Rolle was more publicly vocal about her disdain. Given her discomfort, Rolle left after the fourth season when her contract expired. She did, however, return as a main cast member for the sixth and final season. 

Suzanne Somers (Three’s Company)

Some TV devotees may not be aware that Suzanne Somers exited Three’s Company after five seasons due to a salary dispute with ABC’s execs. Her attempts to renegotiate a new deal proved to be unsuccessful, and her contract was not renewed. Throughout the remainder of the show's run, Somers' Chrissy Snow would be succeeded by two other characters.

Chad Michael Murray (One Tree Hill)

Many were likely surprised when Chad Michael Murray was one of two major stars to exit One Tree Hill ahead of its seventh season. At this point, there’s been no clear reason as to why Murray, who played Lucas Scott parted ways with the show. Some contend that he was ready to leave, but Murray was even recorded saying that the network wanted to drop him to save money.

Lori Loughlin (Fuller House)

Veteran actress Lori Loughlin was starring on Netflix’s Fuller House when she was indicted as part of the 2019 college admissions scandal. In 2020, Loughlin pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and was sentenced to two months in prison. Given her legal woes, Loughlin’s Aunt Becky was excluded from the sitcom’s final season.

Isaiah Washington (Grey’s Anatomy)

It was in October 2006 that Isaiah Washington made headlines after it was reported that during an on-set conflict with Patrick Dempsey, he insulted their fellow Grey’s Anatomy co-star, T.R. Knight, with a homophobic slur. Washington reportedly issued an apology though, by the summer of 2007, his contract with ABC was eliminated after Season 3. Washington did, however, reprise the role for a Season 10 episode.

Thomas Gibson (Criminal Minds)

Criminal Minds fired Thomas Gibson amid production on Season 12. As has been reported, Gibson, who was directing an episode at the time, had a disagreement with the episode’s writer. The scribe was on set at the time and, during an encounter with Gibson, the actor apparently kicked him. Gibson subsequently expressed regret over his actions.

Shannen Doherty (Charmed)

Few TV deaths were more tragic than that of Shannen Doherty’s Prue Halliwell during Charmed’s third season finale. In the years since she departed the show, Doherty has claimed that her on-set tension with co-star Alyssa Milano caused her to be let go. For her part, Milano said she was “sad” that Doherty blamed her for how everything panned out.

Danny Masterson (The Ranch)

While starring on Netflix’s The Ranch, Danny Masterson was investigated by police due to allegations of assault by multiple women. Masterson was soon fired from the series amid production on Season 3 and, in 2023, he was sentenced to prison.

Ruby Rose (Batwoman)

After leading Batwoman for just one season, Ruby Rose exited the Arrowverse show in 2020. The actress initially attributed her decision to the “taxing” nature of heading up a TV show as well as an allergic reaction to the latex in her costume. However, Rose later made claims of an abusive workplace against her ex-co-stars, The CW and more. Warner Bros. TV denied the allegations as did Rose’s former scene partners.

Cindy Williams (Laverne & Shirley)

Laverne & Shirley lost co-lead Cindy Williams early into the show’s eighth and final season. Williams became pregnant early into production and, as she explained to Today, she wouldn’t sign a new contract due to the producers having her work on her due date. So Penny Marshall’s Laverne DeFazio finished out those last episodes without Williams’ Shirley Feeney.

Chevy Chase (Community)

It’s been well documented that Community’s Chevy Chase had creative differences with series creator Dan Harmon over his character, Pierce Hawthorne. While working on Season 4, the veteran funnyman reportedly had an on-set tirade during which he dropped the N-word. Chase departed the show shortly after that.

Daniel Dae Kim (Hawaii Five-0)

Daniel Dae Kim’s exit from CBS’ Hawaii Five-0 reboot after seven seasons came down to a salary dispute with the network. After the news of his departure was reported, Kim himself (who was one of the procedural’s most recognizable stars) addressed the situation, confirming that he and the network couldn’t agree to terms on a new deal.

Lisa Bonet (A Different World)

Cosby Show spinoff A Different World finished its first season on NBC in early 1988 and, afterward, lead actress Lisa Bonet announced her pregnancy with then-husband Lenny Kravitz. The sitcom’s incoming showrunner, Debbie Allen, wanted to keep Bonet on the show and depict her character, Denise Huxtable, as a single mom. But, as Allen explained years later, series creator Bill Cosby preferred that Bonet be dropped from the show.

Columbus Short (Scandal)

After three seasons on ABC’s Scandal, Columbus Short was removed from the cast of the hit drama series. It was during that time that the actor was dealing with personal issues and was even arrested on a domestic violence charge. Short later explained that he was cut due to his struggles with drugs and alcohol.

Gina Carano (The Mandalorian)

MMA fighter-turned-actress Gina Carano established a polarizing social media presence during her two-season stint on The Mandalorian. Among the controversial posts she shared was a message that seemingly compared being a modern-day conservative to being a Jewish person during the Holocaust. Disney and Lucasfilm fired Carano in 2021 ahead of the highly popular Star Wars show’s third season.

Nicollette Sheridan (Desperate Housewives)

Desperate Housewives star Nicollette Sheridan was written out of the show after the show’s fifth season, with her character, Edie Britt, being killed off. Several years later, the actress filed suit against Marc Cherry, the show’s creator and ABC. Sheridan alleged that Cherry assaulted her on the set and that she was fired for reporting it. Cherry provided an account of events and, in time, the harassment claims were thrown and Sheridan was unsuccessful in getting a retrial.

T.R. Knight (Grey’s Anatomy)

In 2009, T.R. Knight – who played Dr. George O’Malley on Grey’s Anatomy – left the show after the fifth season. Knight said his reason for leaving was due to a “breakdown of communication” with series EP Shonda Rhimes, his own decision to come out as gay and more. This also all came a few years after Knight was allegedly insulted with a homophobic slur by ex-co-star Isaiah Washington. 

Hilarie Burton (One Tree Hill)

Much has been said about Hilarie Burton’s exit from One Tree Hill after the sixth season. The most common assertion has been that the Peyton Sawyer actress couldn’t agree with the network on a new deal. Interestingly, while Burton recalled filming her final scene for the show, she noted that while shooting another sequence, a producer announced on set that the show was renewed for Season 7. However, both Burton and co-star Chad Michael Muray were surprised as they apparently hadn’t been offered new deals.

Justin Roiland (Rick And Morty)

Rick and Morty actor and co-creator Justin Roiland was fired from the Adult Swim show in 2023 after it was revealed that he was facing a domestic violence charge and other offenses in court. Roiland’s case was eventually thrown out later that year. However, the animator and voice actor was later accused of assault and messaging underage girls.

John Rhys-Davies (Sliders)

The sci-fi cult classic Sliders lost cast member John Rhys-Davies when the actor opted to depart after three seasons amid other cast changes. Sometime later, Rhys-Davies explained that he left due to conflicts with the writers. The veteran actor later explained that by the time he left the show, the scripts had become “incomprehensible gibberish.”

In 2012, Arrow premiered on The CW and kicked off a shared universe of DC Comics properties on television. The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, Batwoman and Black Lightning followed, and for nearly a decade, this franchise delivered interconnected stories that channeled the same appeal that their comic book source material had been doing for decades. Many superheroes were featured in the Arrowverse, but we’re here to talk about 32 that had major roles in the franchise.

Before going further, there are some stipulations to point out. First, these characters need to have been established in the comics as superheroes before they were introduced in the Arrowverse, hence why characters like Nia Nal/Dreamer, Sara Lance/White Canary and John Diggle/Spartan aren’t on here. Second, these characters need to be chiefly known as heroes in the comics, which is why the likes of Captain Cold, Heat Wave and Killer Frost won’t be mentioned. Finally, we’re only covering the six live-action shows that made up the main Arrowverse continuity, both pre and post-“Crisis on Infinite Earths,” so don’t go looking for people from shows like Superman & Lois and Stargirl.

Green Arrow

Arrow starred Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen, and while he initially went by The Hood and The Arrow, this version of Oliver finally started going by Green Arrow in Season 4. In addition to his eight seasons leading Arrow, Amell’s Oliver participated in all the biggest Arrowverse crossover events. He died in “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” but fans got to reunite with him in the Arrow series finale and The Flash episode “It's My Party and I'll Die If I Want To.”

The Flash

Oliver Queen may have ushered in the Arrowverse, but it wasn’t until Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen got struck by that bolt of lightning that this franchise started getting truly fantastical and fully embracing its superhero roots. Barry protected the citizens of Central City for nine seasons of The Flash, and he was also present for every big Arrowverse crossover event. This Barry also had the unique privilege of being the only Arrowverse hero to cross over with the DCEU, as he met Ezra Miller’s Flash in “Crisis on Infinite Earths.”

Supergirl

Although Supergirl originally debuted on CBS, it was established to take part in the wider Arrowverse continuity when Barry Allen traveled to the Earth of Melissa Benoist’s Kara Danvers late in Season 1. Those ties only grew stronger once the show moved to The CW, and from there, Kara rounded out the Arrowverse’s main trinity of superheroes with Barry and Oliver Queen. At the end of “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” Kara’s Earth merged with the franchise’s main Earth, so Supergirl concluded its six-season run in the same world where the majority of her superhero cohorts now live.

Batwoman

Initially Batwoman starred Ruby Rose as Kate Kane, the same character who holds the mantle in the comics. However, following Rose’s exit post-Season 1, Ryan Wilder (seen above) was created to take over as the vigilante, with Javicia Leslie being cast to play her. Batwoman only lasted three seasons, but both Kate (later played by Wallis Day) and Ryan still stood out as important heroes before, during and after that time, with the former appearing in both the “Elseworlds” and “Crisis on Infinite Earths crossovers,” and the latter both reprising her role on The Flash and playing an evil speedster version of Ryan called Red Death early in Season 9.

Black Lightning

When Black Lightning came along, there was absolutely nothing connecting it to the Arrowverse. Jefferson Pierce’s return to superheroing unfolded in its own corner of the multiverse, but then “Crisis on Infinite Earths” came along and merged his Earth with the main Arrowverse Earth and Supergirl’s. Cress Williams would later reprise Jefferson for an episode of The Flash Season 8, but it was across Black Lightning’s four-season run where he shined best, with no one but the allies in his immediate circle on hand to help him out.

Black Canary

Five individuals held the Black Canary mantle in the Arrowverse: Sara Lance, the Laurel Lance from Earth-1, Evelyn Sharp, Dinah Drake (seen above), and the Laurel Lance from Earth-2. Of those five, the two Laurels and Dinah were able to unleash a sonic scream on their enemies, although Earth-1’s Laurel’s came from a device rather than as a metahuman ability like the other two. There had been plans for Katie Cassidy and Juliana Harkavy to continue respectively playing Earth-2 Laurel and Dinah alongside Katherine McNamara’s Mia Smoak in a Green Arrow & The Canaries spinoff, but it was never picked up.

The Atom

Brandon Routh’s Ray Palmer debuted at the beginning of Arrow Season 3, where he would unveil his A.T.O.M. exosuit. After initially having been presumed dead by the end of the season, Ray resurfaced in Season 4 having been revealed to be shrunken to the size of an atom, and he was able to incorporate shrinking into his exosuit. From there, he became one of the founding Legends of Tomorrow and stuck around on that show as a series regular until midway through Season 5.

Arsenal

By Arrow Season 3, Colton Haynes’ Roy Harper, who’d already appeared in the first two seasons, had taken up archery and joined Oliver Queen in fighting crime as Arsenal, though he was also called Red Arrow by the media. Although Roy had to leave Team Arrow that same season after he masqueraded as The Arrow and faked his death, he would still pop in and out of the show throughout the rest of Arrow’s run to help out his friends. He also followed in his comic book counterpart’s footsteps by gaining a cybernetic arm.

Speedy

The second Speedy in the comics was Mia Dearden, so it was only appropriate that Willa Holland's Thea Queen, who was a loose adaptation of the character, also received that name. When Roy left Star City, he left his Arsenal costume behind, and she made adjustments to it so she could wear it out in the field and join her brother Oliver as a bow-and-arrow-wielding superhero. Eventually she embarked on a personal crusade to battle the Thanatos Guild.

Vibe

Carlos Valdés’ Cisco Ramon was already a valued member of Team Flash at the beginning as its tech genius, but after he discovered he was a metahuman capable of manipulating dimensional energy, he became Vibe. Cisco took a metahuman cure in Season 5, but he continued to fight crime as Mecha-Vibe using a suit that provided him with some of his former powers until he left in Season 7 to join A.R.G.U.S.

Superman

I know, I said I wouldn’t include anybody from Superman & Lois on this list. However, in this case, I’m talking about the Superman from Earth-38/Earth-Prime. In other words, this is the Clark Kent who appeared on Supergirl and participated in “Elseworlds” and “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” We’d assumed he was also the one leading Superman & Lois until it was revealed that show is set on another Earth.

Martian Manhunter

Originally Supergirl viewers thought David Harewood was playing Hank Henshaw, the man who became Cyborg Superman in the comics. But early in Season 1, it was revealed that his character was actually J’onn J’onzz, a.k.a. Martian Manhunter, who assumed Henshaw’s identity to try and do good as the director of the Department of Extranormal Operations. Harewood would later play the sinister Henshaw for a few episodes, but it was J’onn who stuck around for all of Supergirl as one of Kara’s most important allies.

Elongated Man

Ralph Dibny gained his elastic powers from The Thinker’s machinations in The Flash Season 4, and after being stabilized, he joined Team Flash to help them fight crime as Elongated Man. Hartley Sawyer portrayed the character through to the end of Season 6, but after the actor was fired from the show, a stand-in performer was used for the Season 7 premiere. While healing from some major burns, Ralph decided to leave Team Flash to travel the world with Sue Dearbon and dismantle various criminal organizations.

Vixen

Although Mari McCabe, the Vixen from the comics, was played by Megalyn Echikunwoke in the Vixen and The Ray animated web series, as well as an episode of Arrow, it was the character’s grandmother, Amaya Jiwe (seen above), who got more attention in the Arroverse. An original character created for Legends of Tomorrow, Amaya, played by Maisie Richardson-Sellers, was active as Vixen during World War II as a Justice Society member, and after traveling through time with the Legends for a while, she returned to her original time period at the end of Season 3. Richardson-Sellers then stuck around a few more seasons as a shapeshifter named Charlie.

Firestorm

Just like in the comics, the Arrowverse’s original Firestorm duo consisted of Robbie Amell’s Ronnie Raymond and Victor Garber’s Martin Stein, with the two being recurring characters in The Flash Season 1. However, after Ronnie died in the Season 2 premiere, Stein merged a few episodes later with Franz Drameh’s Jefferson “Jax” Jackson (seen above), and the two went on to join the Legends of Tomorrow. That’s where they stayed until Stein died in the “Crisis on Earth X” crossover, prompting Jax to leave and resume his normal life.

John Constantine

Although NBC’s Constantine series only lasted one season, Matt Ryan was able to keep playing the trenchcoat-wearing sorcerer in multiple other ways, most notably in the Arrowverse. Following a guest appearance in Arrow Season 4, he returned two years later in Legends of Tomorrow, where he eventually became part of the team and hung around until the end of Season 6. Even then, Ryan remained on the series to play Gwyn Davies, the inventor of time travel.

Kid Flash

Depicted as Iris West’s long-lost brother rather than her nephew like in the comics, Keiynan Lonsdale’s Wally West was introduced midway through The Flash Season 2. After Season 3’s premiere showed him as the Kid Flash of the Flashpoint timeline, the main version of Wally gained super speed when Doctor Alchemy restored his powers from that other reality. Wally exited as a series regular at the beginning of The Flash Season 4, but would later make guest appearances in Seasons 6 and 9, as well as appearing in the latter half of Legends of Tomorrow Season 3.

Jay Garrick

After it was revealed that the Jay Garrick that viewers had been following along with in The Flash Season 2 was really the sinister Zoom, the real Jay was revealed at the end of that season to be a doppelgänger of Henry Allen from Earth-3. With John Wesley Shipp having played Barry Allen in The Flash TV show from 1990 (whom he also reprised in “Elseworlds and “Crisis on Infinite Earths”), it was only fitting that he also play this veteran speedster as well.

Thunder/Blackbird

If you’re making a show about Black Lightning, then it’s only appropriate that you include his superhero daughters too. The first of them was Nafessa Williams’ Anissa Pierce, a.k.a. Thunder, although there were also various instances where she went by the moniker Blackbird. Unlike her father and sister, Anissa didn’t generate and manipulate electricity, but rather was able to manipulate her density with her breathing, giving her super strength and durability.

Lightning

Like her superhero name clearly indicates, not only did Jennifer Pierce inherit the same kind of powers as her father, but she also had the added ability to generate electricity on her own rather than just manipulate it like Jefferson. China Anne McClain played Jennifer for the majority of Black Lightning’s run, but for a good chunk of Season 4, Laura Kariuki took over the role, though this was later revealed to be an ionosphere entity who stole her identity.

Mister Terrific

After being introduced in Arrow Season 4 as a Palmer Technologies employee who worked closely with Felicity Smoak, Echo Kellum’s Curtis Holt (rather than Michael Holt, like in the comics) officially joined Team Arrow at the beginning of Season 5, taking the identity Mr. Terrific, which had previously belonged to his favorite wrestler. Curtis stuck with the team until the end of Season 6, and from there he briefly worked for A.R.G.U.S., then took a job in Washington D.C.

Wild Dog

Instead of using Jack Wheeler from the comics, Arrow gave that superhero identity to the original character Rene Ramirez, played by Rick Gonzalez. Although frequently hotheaded, Rene was nonetheless another valued member of Team Arrow for many seasons, though there was a period where he, Curtis and Dinah formed their own group. Eventually, Rene retired from being Wild Dog and became mayor of Star City by the end of the show.

XS

While XS is indeed a character from the comics, The Flash’s version of her is a melding of her and Barry Allen’s daughter, who was known as Dawn in the comics. In this show, while it’s implied that’s what Jessica Parker Kennedy’s character used to be named too, changes to the timeline led to her being named Nora, after Barry’s mother. The original version of Kennedy’s Nora was erased from the timeline after Cicada’s dagger was destroyed, but fortunately, a new version of her came into being afterward.

Impulse

Rather than being Barry Allen’s grandson like in the comics, Jordan Fisher’s Bart Allen, a.k.a. Impulse, is depicted as Barry and Iris West’s son, i.e. Nora’s sister. Introduced towards the end of Season 7, and a speedster just like his father and Nora, Impulse shared a special connection with Jay Garrick and had already made an enemy out of Godspeed from his time period.

Guardian

In Supergirl, the Guardian mantle was held by the Olsen siblings rather than Jim Harper or Mal Duncan. James Olsen first started fighting crime as Guardian in Season 2, with Winn Schott making him his suit and shield. Then in Season 6, one season after Mehcad Brooks stopped playing James as a series regular, Azie Tesfai’s Kelly Olsen (seen above) took over as the new Guardian, although James did don his costume one last time in the series finale.

Citizen Steel

Nick Zano’s Nate Heywood joined Legends of Tomorrow at the beginning of Season 2, gaining the ability to transform his body into steel from an experimental serum. This power is more like Colossus’ from the X-Men than the Nate from the comics, but it was a welcome one to have until mustard gas eroded the steel in Season 7, which led to him retiring from the team. This version of Nate also simply went by Steel rather than Citizen Steel, not to be confused with the John Henry Irons Steel.

Mon-El

Hailing from Daxam, a planet populated by Kryptonian offshoots, Mon-El gained the same kind of superpowers as Supergirl when he landed on Earth. However, because he was a spoiled prince from the Daxamite monarchy, it took a while for him to start behaving like a hero. Mon-El and Kara fell in love, but while Chris Wood and Melissa Benoist married in real life, it wasn’t meant to be for the characters. Mon-El ended up traveling to the 31st century and joined the Legion of Super-Heroes.

Batwing

When Batwoman began, Luke Fox initially started out working behind the scenes to help Kate Kane out, having already been keeping Wayne Tower secure on Batman’s behalf. Then in Season 2, Campus Johnson’s character began his own superhero journey, one which culminated in him constructing a supersuit and becoming Batwing, just like in the comics.

Brainiac 5

Brainiac 5 was one of Mon-El’s teammates in the Legion of Super-Heroes, and together with Saturn Girl, they traveled back to the present day in Supergirl Season 3. By the end of that season, Winn Schott decided to travel to the future to stop an AI-killing virus, Jesse Rath’s Brainiac 5, a.k.a. Brainy, stayed in the present and became one of Supergirl’s most valued allies. He also formed a romantic relationship with Nia Nal.

Hawkgirl

Although both Hawkgirl and Harman appeared in Legends of Tomorrow Season 1 following their introductions in the “Heroes Join Forces Crossover,” Ciara Renée’s Kendra Saunders unquestionably had the bigger role. After her version of Carter Hall was killed by Vandal Savage, she joined the Legends to help try to defeat the villain across time. By the end of Season 1, Kendra and a later incarnation of Carter left after Vandal was finally killed for good.

Rip Hunter

Arthur Darvill’s Rip Hunter, one of DC Comics’ greatest time travelers, assembled the Legends of Tomorrow to help him stop Vandal Savage. Season 2 saw him bring brainwashed by the Legion of Doom, but fortunately, their programming was erased, and he then decided to leave the Legends after realizing he had nothing left to teach them. He then spent the next five years of his personal timeline forming the Time Bureau, but by the end of Season 3, Rip sacrificed his stop the demon Mallus.

Jesse Quick

Rather than being Jesse Chambers like in the comics, The Flash’s version of Jesse Quick was Jesse Wells, the daughter of Earth-2’s Harrison Wells. Violett Beane's character gained her super speed after being exposed to dark matter during an attempt to restore Barry Allen’s own speed. By Season 3, she began fighting crime on Earth-2, and occasionally on Earth-1, as Jesse Quick. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear as though Jesse was restored to life in the new multiverse created during “Crisis on Infinite Earths.”

While the Arrowverse is over, these 32 will be remembered as some of its most prominent superheroes, and there are plenty of others we could spend time talking about. They’re just among the many reasons why this franchise will continue being enjoyed for years to come.

Here’s some simple TV math: the longer a series airs, the less likely its original cast will remain intact, regardless of how beloved the show or actor is. The majority of popular series over the years have gone through at least one major exit, and it’s bad enough when changes are revealed early, and characters’ last episodes are planned out and logical. It's far worse, however, when actors suddenly exit projects without any on-screen closure.

Surprise departures can curb audiences' enjoyment of a show, whether from disrupted cast dynamics or shoddy storytelling. And depending on how controversial the exits are, a key departure can completely derail a show's success. So let’s take a look back at some of the most memorable instances when stars parted ways with projects without closing their characters' stories.

Anna Faris (Mom)

During Mom's hiatus following Season 7, co-star Anna Faris suddenly revealed she was leaving the show, which reportedly shocked the creative team as much as fans. Allison Janney & Co. went forward with the eighth season, occasionally referencing Faris’ character Christy, but it was canceled without any kind of conclusion for the character, though the creators made it clear they didn’t want to kill her off.

Chevy Chase (Community)

Community already suffered the exodus of creator Dan Harmon and more creatives in Season 4, and then Chevy Chase allegedly used a racial slur on the set, leading him to drop out of the NBC comedy through mutual agreement with network execs. His character Pierce appeared multiple times after his official exit, due to episodes airing out of order, as well as that hologram cameo in the Season 5 premiere, but the SNL vet never returned as a regular, and was unceremoniously killed off via dialogue two episodes after the cameo.

Danny Masterson (The Ranch)

That ‘70s Show vet Danny Masterson reteamed with Ashton Kutcher on Netflix’s sitcom The Ranch, but was fired in December 2017 after multiple assault allegations against him were publicized. Masterson later faced trial, was convicted and sentenced to prison in September 2023, and did not return as Rooster Bennett, who was written as missing and presumed dead via motorcycle accident.

Suzanne Somers (Three's Company)

Three’s Company's early seasons were bolstered by the popularity of Suzanne Somers’ Chrissy Snow, but network execs reportedly refused the actress’ salary increase requests, leading to a unique stalemate agreement. Somers made only contractually obligated appearances in Season 4 episodes' closing tag scenes, which she filmed separately from her co-stars. Somers was fired by the season’s end, with Chrissy said to be caring for her sick mom in Fresno.

Corey Hawkins (The Walking Dead)

Corey Hawkins joined The Walking Dead Season 6 as comic book fan-favorite Heath, but Straight Outta Compton's release that same year shot him to Hollywood’s stratosphere. In one of TWD’s most baffling moments, Heath disappeared in Season 7, and was never seen from again. Reportedly, Heath would have returned for the movies, but those plans have been shut down.

Emmy Rossum (Shameless)

The final two years of Shameless' 11-season run were without Emmy Rossum’s Fiona Gallagher. The actress announced her shocking exit in 2018, and Fiona’s final appearance came in the emotional Season 9 finale. Despite fans’ hopes, Rossum opted not to return for cameos in the remaining seasons, and the series finale wrapped without any major Fiona updates.

Mandy Patinkin (Criminal Minds)

Criminal Minds began its lengthy run with Mandy Patinkin’s Jason Gideon running the BAU, but that changed ahead of the third season when Patinkin left the show entirely over his disgust with the violent storylines. (He called joining the crime drama his “biggest public mistake” in 2012.) Gideon was replaced and killed off-screen seven seasons later, with Ben Savage guest-starring as young Gideon in flashbacks.

Columbus Short (Scandal)

Ahead of Scandal's Season 3 finale, co-star Columbus Short was arrested over a physical altercation at an L.A. restaurant, and eventually confessed he’d developed drinking and drug habits while dealing with a divorce and custody disputes. Short was fired from Scandal in April 2014, and his character Harrison Wright was revealed in Season 4 to have been killed off.

Gina Carano (The Mandalorian)

Former MMA badass Gina Carano landed the role of Star Wars merc Cara Dune in The Mandalorian, but lost the gig in February 2021. Following a series of controversial social media moves, Lucasfilm announced she would no longer be involved in the show. Cara Dune was not recast, and has not returned to the franchise since the Season 2 finale.

Valerie Harper (Valerie)

The Hogan Family began its existence as Valerie, starring the Emmy-winning Valerie Harper as its lead matriarch for two seasons. She was later fired after salary disputes and sued NBC and production company Lorimar. While her initial claims were dismissed, a judge ruled Harper was indeed wrongfully terminated, netting her a financial win. Her character suffered an offscreen death, leading to the series' name changes.

Robert Downey Jr. (Ally McBeal)

Following a string of 1990s scandals, Robert Downey Jr. landed the role of love interest Larry Paul in Season 4 of Fox’s hit dramedy Ally McBeal, which earned him a Golden Globe. But additional arrests in late 2000 and 2001 led creator David E. Kelley to cut ties with RDJ completely. The fifth season, which would have chronicled Ally and Larry’s post-wedding bliss, had to be completely rewritten.

Shannen Doherty (Charmed)

Though Charmed’s eldest sister Prue Halliwell was the trio's most powerful, the third season finale left Shannen Doherty’s character facing possible death. Though presumptions held that she’d return for Season 4, tensions and more issues surrounding Doherty and Alyssa Milano led to Doherty’s firing via phone call. As such, Prue’s wounds turned out to be fatal, but Doherty did not return for the funeral episode.

Clayne Crawford (Lethal Weapon)

Fox’s iteration of Lethal Weapon paired Rectify vet Clayne Crawford with Damon Wayans. But instead of buddy cop love, reports indicated strife and hostility building between the co-stars, along with complaints about Crawford's directorial work. His exit was reported on the day of the Season 2 finale, which ended on a cliffhanger for his character Riggs, who was unsurprisingly revealed to have succumbed to his wounds. Seann William Scott joined Season 3 as a replacement.

Grace Park (Hawaii Five-0)

After seven seasons portraying Kono Kalakaua for CBS’ Hawaii Five-0 reboot, Grace Park opted to vacate her role alongside Daniel Dae Kim after their attempts to secure pay equality with co-stars Alex O’Loughlin and Scott Caan were turned down by CBS Television Studios. Kono was revealed to have relocated to Carson City, Nevada, as part of a trafficking task force, with Danny sharing their break-up update in Season 9.

Thomas Gibson (Criminal Minds)

Various Criminal Minds stars exited the drama for different reasons, but Thomas Gibson’s case. stands out. Despite the show still being early into filming Season 12, ABC Studios and CBS Studios revealed the actor’s termination via a joint statement in August 2016, less than a week after Gibson was suspended over an on-set altercation with a writer-producer. A later episode revealed his character Aaron “Hotch” Hotchner entered Witness Protection after discovering serial killer Peter Lewis stalking his son Jack.

Roseanne Barr (Roseanne)

One of the '90s' biggest sitcoms returned to ABC in 2018, with Roseanne bringing comedian Roseanne Barr back as its matriarch. But that return only lasted for a single season, as Barr tweeted a message about former White House Advisor Valerie Jarrett that was considered racist, and two months after its Season 11 renewal, Roseanne was effectively canceled. The network relaunched without Barr as The Conners, which kicked off its run by killing off Roseanne Conner via drug overdose.

Charlie Sheen (Two And A Half Men)

Two and a Half Men thrived on the chemistry between Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer, but the show went into hiatus in 2011 due to Sheen’s then-latest rehab stint, at which point the actor began slamming CBS and Chuck Lorre in a variety of high-profile interviews. Season 8 was then shut down mid-production, with Sheen’s firing later capping things off. His public meltdowns continued capturing headlines as Ashton Kutcher helped fill the Charlie void, and unfortunately didn't make good on rumors of his series finale return.

Lisa Edelstein (House)

Across her years as Dr. Lisa Cuddy, House star Lisa Edelstein went from playing contentious boss to adoring lover. Upon Season 7’s end, she and two co-stars were asked to take salary cuts during contract negotiations, with Edelstein being the lone holdout. She announced her exit ahead of Season 8, and Cuddy was later revealed to have quit as Dean of Medicine, with Omar Epps’ Eric Foreman taking on the duties for the final season.

James Garner (Maverick)

For three seasons, James Garner portrayed Maverick's title character Bret Maverick, but the 1960 writers' strike helped bring that run to a sudden close. When Warner Bros. attempted to lay Garner off due to a lack of scripts, he fought back and successfully sued the studio for breach of contract. According to the actor, he personally turned down an offer to return with a raise, saying, “I want out,” and though Bret appeared in an airing-delayed Season 4 ep which was filmed far earlier, Garner did not return, with fill-in stars Roger Moore and Robert Colbert added later.

Katherine Heigl (Grey's Anatomy)

Katherine Heigl took a temporary leave from Grey’s Anatomy in Season 6 to shoot a movie and spend time with her adopted daughter, which sparked her to request to be released from her contract 18 months early. Disputes have raged on over how her sudden exit was handled, considering Izzy never experienced an official “farewell” scene. Alex Karev’s final ep specifically noted that he and Izzy were back together and raising twins in Kansas. While Heigl notably reunited with former co-stars at the Emmys, giving fans hope that Izzy could return, she has yet to justify those hopes.

Jeff Garlin (The Goldbergs)

Nine months after The Goldbergs co-star George Segal died at 87, lead actor Jeff Garlin vacated the show following multiple HR investigations into allegations of misconduct. The departure was said to be a mutual agreement between the actor and the producers and network, and because it happened in the middle of filming Season 9, the producers used CGI, physical stand-ins, and archival audio to make it appear as if Murray was still around. The writers ditched that idea going into Season 10, though, and revealed Murray's off-camera death.

Freema Agyeman (New Amsterdam)

Freema Agyeman portrayed New Amsterdam's oncology chief Dr. Helen Sharpe for four seasons, and while many expected her back for the fifth and final season, the actress shockingly announced her exit amid the summer hiatus, cheekily pleading for fans to continue Sharpe’s story via fan-fiction. She went on to co-star in the series Dreamland, cementing Sharpe and Dr. Goodwin’s break-up, and though the character did appear on TV in a later Season 5 episode, it was without any overarching updates.

Hartley Sawyer (The Flash)

In 2017, actor Hartley Sawyer landed his stretchiest role yet as The Flash’s Ralph Dibny, a.k.a. Elongated Man. Three years later, in response to his comments about Black Lives Matter, social media users pulled up multiple derogatory and offensive tweets the actor posted between the years of 2009-2014. He publicly apologized for the posts, but a week after waves were made, Warner Bros. TV and The CW fired Sawyer from The Flash, which used an uncredited body double for Season 7’s “Mother” to write Ralph out alongside Sue Dearbon.

Jill Marie Jones (Girlfriends)

Jill Marie Jones crushed it as Girlfriends’ ego-driven Toni Childs for six seasons but was the only main cast holdout who exited the dramedy ahead of Season 7 over her contract expiring. Jones' exit was explained through Toni moving to New York City at the end of Season 6, but Jones spoke openly in 2007 about feeling that Toni’s story wasn’t over and that she'd be willing to return if the writers put something together. Alas, the show was canceled in 2008 before that could happen.

Lori Loughlin (Fuller House)

Lori Loughlin returned to her Full House role of Rebecca for the Netflix continuation series Fuller House, but her appearances ceased in Season 4 after she was fired by Netflix over her and her husband Mossimo Giannulli’s actions regarding the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal. Though the actress was later able to reprise her When Calls the Heart character, Aunt Becky didn't return at all for Season 5.

Kevin Spacey (House Of Cards)

Alongside Robin Wright, Kevin Spacey made streaming TV normal with Netflix’s House of Cards. In the weeks ahead of Season 6's production, Spacey faced widely publicized accusations from actor Anthony Rapp, was subsequently fired by Netflix and was removed from executive producer duties. His character Frank Underwood was revealed to have been poisoned and died ahead of the Season 6 premiere.

Leanna Creel (Saved By The Bell)

Leanna Creel’s Tori Scott remains one of pop culture's biggest curiosities, having slid into NBC’s Saved by the Bell for its final season during a run of episodes lacking Tiffani Thiessen’s Kelly and Elizabeth Berkley’s Jessie. The leather-clad character shook things up for Zack & Co. for just ten episodes, and was never heard from again.

Wayne Rogers (MASH)

Three years after joining CBS' MASH, actor Wayne Rogers grew discouraged by his character Trapper John not reaching his expectations, and unexpectedly opted to quit the hit series ahead of its fourth season. But while fellow exiting co-star McLean Stevenson was able to be written out of the Season 3 finale, Trapper John's absence had to be explained away in the Season 4 premiere without Rogers around.

Ruby Rose (Batwoman)

Batwoman’s first foray into live-action saw Ruby Rose wearing Kate Kane's cape and cowl, but she left the Arrowverse series shortly after the first season ended. Reports noted she was fired over on-set behavior, with Rose claiming the show’s taxing nature led her to suffer back surgery following an alleged on-set accident. Replaced as a lead by Javicia Leslie's Ryan Wilder, Kate later returned in a different physical form without Rose’s involvement.

Kate Jackson (Charlie's Angels)

O.G. Charlie’s Angels star Kate Jackson won viewers’ hearts for three years as Sabrina Duncan, which is when she followed former co-star Farrah Fawcett out the door. Jackson spoke warily of the writers’ scripts, and after being denied the opportunity to join Kramer vs. Kramer due to scheduling, she intentionally caused an on-set mess that led to her dismissal ahead of Season 4. Replaced by Shelley Hack’s Tiffany Wells, Sabrina was revealed to have left the agency to become a mother.

Jon Seda (Chicago P.D.)

Jon Seda’s Antonio Dawson jumped from Chicago Fire to P.D. to Justice and back again for seven years. Surprisingly, NBC and Wolf Entertainment chose not to renew Seda’s contract ahead of Chicago P.D.'s seventh season, and he was let go. Later episodes revealed the character fell back into pill addiction following the prior finale's cliffhanger, and he was checked into rehab, eventually moving to Puerto Rico after resigning from the force.

Selma Blair (Anger Management)

Charlie Sheen followed Two and a Half Men with the comedy Anger Management, co-starring Selma Blair for part of its run as his colleague and fling interest Dr. Kate Wales. Conflict between Blair and Sheen bled into the tabloids, and a reported ultimatum from Sheen led producers to fire Blair, with her character suddenly being explained away as having moved to India.

Over the weekend, fans of Netflix’s The Witcher series got some good news and some bad news. The good news was that the show, which recently wrapped filming on Season 3, would be back for Season 4. The bad news was that Henry Cavill would not be returning in the lead role of Geralt of Rivia. Instead, Liam Hemsworth has been set to take over as the character.

It’s actually been a somewhat rare occurrence in the history of television for the main character, or even a main character, of a series to be recast with a new actor playing the exact same role. Having said that, seeing the stars of a show leave in the middle of a run to be replaced by new actors as new characters is a bit more common. It ends up happening for a number of reasons and has a variety of different results. 

Ruby Rose - Batwoman

The CW’s Batwoman only ran for three seasons, which would barely seem like enough time for a major actor to leave a role. However, Ruby Rose, who was cast as the title hero initially, only lasted the first season before leaving the show and being replaced by a new Batwoman, Javicia Leslie's Ryan Wilder. Rose’s own character, Kate Kane, would also return, but she was played by Wallis Day. 

The exact circumstances of Ruby Rose’s exit have been a topic of much debate with accusations thrown at both sides. The show would end after two more seasons, so it’s impossible to know if it would have survived longer without the change. Rose has continued to make movies, but largely of the smaller VOD type since leaving Batwoman.

Mark Harmon - NCIS 

NCIS has been on the air for two decades, and while the show has seen multiple cast members come and go in that time, the lead role of Leroy Jethro Gibbs, as played by Mark Harmon, was always there to lead the team and the show. That was, until Season 19, when the role of team leader was officially taken over by Gary Cole's Alden Parker.

After 19 seasons, Harmon’s decision to leave NCIS was simply a case of being done with the show, it was was reported that Harmon would have left sooner if he could have done so without ending the show entirely. Harmon hasn’t done any other movies or TV since leaving NCIS, so if he was looking for a career change, he hasn’t found it yet. It's possible he just wanted the break.

Christopher Meloni - Law & Order: SVU 

All of the Law & Order series over the years have featured ensemble casts, and most of them have seen people enter and leave the show throughout  the various productions. However, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit was very much the Benson and Stabler show, which made it quite a big deal when Christopher Meloni decided to leave as the latter after 12 seasons following a contract dispute.

Meloni had little trouble finding work as both an actor and a voice actor following his SVU exit. He appeared in several movies and led the SyFy TV series Happy for two seasons. However, he couldn’t stay away from Law & Order, as he’s now back leading Law & Order: Organized Crime, which occasionally results in him returning to SVU every once in a while. 

David Caruso - NYPD Blue 

NYPD Blue was an incredibly popular series that pushed the envelope of what was seen as acceptable on network TV in the early 1990s. It also made stars out of its lead characters, played by David Caruso and Dennis Franz. However, following the show’s incredible first season success, Caruso reportedly wanted a raise that he didn’t get, and he left the show early in the second season.

NYPD Blue would be fine, going on to make 12 seasons of TV with a few more actor changes through the time. Caruso would try to convert his TV stardom to film, but would have limited success. He eventually returned to TV to star in CSI: Miami, a show he would stay with until it was cancelled after 10 seasons.

Steve Carrell - The Office 

The Office was a massive television hit that lasted for nine seasons, but only seven of those seasons were led by Steve Carrell as Michael Scott. James Spader would come in to play a new character in Season 8, and Season 9 would largely forego any sort of office leader character, letting the show instead focus on the ensemble that fans had grown to love over so many episodes.

Carrell already had a significant amount of big screen success with movies he had made in between seasons of The Office, so there was little doubt he would find success elsewhere. He’s shown his ability to do drama as well as comedy, and even been nominated for an Academy Award since saying goodbye to The Office.

Rob Lowe - The West Wing 

The West Wing’s cast was made up of established character actors combined with a few bigger name stars. Considering the size of the cast and the seven years the show was on the air, it’s surprising there wasn’t more turnover in the cast. That said, one actor who did leave after three seasons was Rob Lowe, one of the bigger names in the cast at the beginning. Like others on this list, Lowe was looking for a raise that he did not receive.

Rob Lowe’s character would be replaced by frequent Aaron Sorkin player Josh Molina. Lowe would go on to become a series regular in several other projects including Brothers & Sisters and Parks & Recreation, but he would leave those shows eventually as well. He’s currently playing the lead in 9-1-1: Lone Star which will begin its fourth season next year with Lowe still in the cast.

Shelley Long - Cheers 

At this point Cheers may be best known for launching the spinoff Frasier, which is on its way back yet again, but throughout most of the ‘80s and early ‘90s, it was one of the most popular sitcoms on TV. Much of the focus of the early seasons was on the relationship between Sam and Diane played by Ted Danson and Shelley Long. This became a problem when Long decided to leave the show in 1987.

Long would see her role replaced by Kirstie Alley and the show would continue to find success. Long would follow up Cheers with the comedy film Troop Beverly Hills, which would be her most successful film project until she played Carol Brady in The Brady Bunch Movie and its sequel. 

Henry Cavill was already a star before he became Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher, and with the news that he’ll be back playing Superman again at some point, there’s little need to worry about him. What happens to the show is a very different question, and one we won’t be able to answer for some time. Keep track of what shows are currently airing with our 2022 TV schedule.

Ruby Rose made big news back in 2018 when she landed the role of Kate Kane for the Arrowverse, which ultimately turned into Rose starring in her very own Batwoman series. It came as a surprise then when she departed after one season, calling it a “very difficult decision.” She later revealed that injuries had a big impact on why she left as well as an allergic reaction, but now she is causing major waves with a slew of new allegations about her time on Batwoman, and her former co-star Dougray Scott and Warner Bros. have responded with their own allegations.

In a series of explosive posts on social media, Ruby Rose leveled accusations at a number of notable names in the Arrowverse, Warner Bros, and The CW, as well as some co-stars including Dougray Scott. In the hours since Rose posted her shocking allegations, Warner Bros. Television responded with a statement (via The Wrap): 

According to the statement from Warner Bros. Television, it was the production company that decided not to bring back Ruby Rose for Season 2, which corroborates unconfirmed rumors that her departure was a “breakup” that wasn’t 100% “her decision” because it wasn’t a good fit, but a lot has come to light since those rumors back in May 2020. The statement doesn’t specifically address Rose’s allegations against specific people who were named in her posts, or name who is responsible for the claimed “multiple complaints” about her “workplace behavior.”

Dougray Scott was among those named in the posts from Ruby Rose. Scott played Kate Kane’s father for the first two seasons of Batwoman, even after Kate herself was gone. Rose has claimed that he was “unprofessional,” “hurt a female stunt double,” “yelled like a little bitch at woman” and was an overall “nightmare” to work with, including yelling and arriving and leaving at his own pleasure. Scott responded with a statement, also via The Wrap: 

Dougray Scott didn’t mince words in his rebuttal of Ruby Rose’s claims, which were blunt about the treatment she claims she received from the man playing her Batwoman father, including accusing him of slamming her in the press. Rose also named another former co-star in her posts, claiming that Camrus Johnson (who plays Luke Fox) made comments about her being late after she left the hospital from her surgery. At the time of writing, Johnson has not responded on social media or via any statements.

What comes of Ruby Rose’s accusations (or doesn’t come) remains to be seen. She’s no longer connected to the show, and made it clear in her posts that she will not be returning to reprise her role as Kate. Batwoman returned for Season 3 on October 13, as the second season for Javicia Leslie as the woman who became the new Batwoman after Kate Kane’s disappearance. Rose’s explosive allegations hit the web shortly before the second episode of Season 3 airs. 

While the Arrowverse's many superhero series have faced plenty of actor exits over the years, from Arrow's Emily Bett Rickards to Legends of Tomorrow's Brandon Routh and beyond, zero departures were anything like that of Batwoman's Ruby Rose. The actress took her leave in May 2020 after the first season, with Javicia Leslie taking over. Rose mostly stayed as silent as could be about the reasoning behind it, and later attributed it to a back surgery and other physical issues. Now, however, Rose took to social media and let loose with some serious allegations against vacating Warner Bros. Television President Peter Roth, Batwoman's showrunner Caroline Dries and more.

Taking to Instagram Stories with more than a dozen mostly text-filled posts, Ruby Rose continued to praise the show's crew members on all levels, but essentially had nothing nice to say about anyone above the crew's paygrade. Below, she insinuates that Peter Roth was guilty of sexual misconduct in the workplace. [Edited for clarity.]

Ruby Rose also posted several videos from a doctor visit, in which her "abnormal" rib injuries were discussed and detailed by her medical practitioner. She then called out her CW bosses by claiming she couldn't get an X-ray at the time because production wouldn't have been able to finish the day's work on time. 

Rose continued, using these injuries as a defense against Batwoman fans who called out her acting and performance, alleging that she was forced to work while injured. 

The allegations continued, as Ruby Rose unleashed an even longer list of allegations regarding serious injuries that others reportedly suffered on the set, while also putting a moratorium on answering whether or not she'd return to Batwoman.

Ruby Rose also shared the story of a production assistant who was reportedly left quadriplegic, with those in charge allegedly blaming the woman for being on her phone at the time. The actress also alleged that Caroline Dries was not committed to shutting the show down once COVID-19 became a factor, and claimed the showrunner only visited the set 4-5 times. And before she was finished, Rose also alleged problematic workplace behavior from her former co-stars Dougray Scott, who left Batwoman himself earlier this year, and Camrus Johnson, saying:

At this point, official responses to Ruby Rose's list of allegations have not been shared by The CW or anyone else who was namechecked, but expect more to come from this story. 

Clearly without Ruby Rose in the titular role anymore, Batwoman airs on The CW every Wednesday night at 9:00 p.m. ET. There are still more premieres to come in the 2021 Fall TV schedule, so be sure to catch up!

When it was announced that Ruby Rose would be departing The CW’s Batwoman after a single season, rumors began to swirl in regard to the reason she was choosing to hang up her Batsuit. While some believed it was due to behind-the-scenes conflicts, others speculated that it was because of an injury she suffered while filming the superhero series. While the actress previously stated that her choice was based on the strains of being the lead of a show, she’s now speaking out about at least one other reason she exited the Arrowverse series.

Suiting up as a superhero may seem like a dream come true for most, but wearing the costume sometimes comes at a price. During a recent appearance on Australia’s The Kyle and Jackie O Show, Ruby Rose, who portrayed lead character Kate Kane, opened up about one aspect of filming the show that made things unpleasant for her. And it doesn't sound pretty:

It's not surprising that Ruby Rose would want to leave Batwoman because of her latex allergy. Superhero costumes are uncomfortable enough just to get into, so an allergy would only add another cumbersome element to the superhero suit. In addition, Rose has mentioned the quick turnaround between recovering from surgery and getting back to work as a reason for her departure. So with all of this, one can understand her decision to step down from the role.

Last year, soon after Ruby Rose's exit, a source close to the show reported that it wasn’t her decision to leave the series, not entirely, at least. Reports alleged that she didn’t adjust well to living in Vancouver (which is where the show films) and that she didn't like working the long hours needed to lead a TV drama. So this somewhat matches up with the actress' sentiments on the matter.

Of course, later that summer, it was announced that Javicia Leslie would take up the mantle as a new character, Ryan Wilder, and her debut in Season 2 has proven that she’s the perfect fit for Batwoman. Although it’s possible that Kate Kane could make a return to Gotham, in her original form, Ruby Rose has been very supportive of Leslie. Still, it will be interesting to see if Rose ever chooses to return to the Arrowverse. But for now, she has her hands full with other projects that (hopefully) won't cause her to break out in hives.

Batwoman returns for its third season on Wednesday, October 13 on The CW.

Warning: spoilers ahead for the March 21 episode of Batwoman Season 2, called "Survived Much Worse."

Batwoman as the story of Kate Kane went through a dramatic shift from the end of the first season to the beginning of the second thanks to the exit of star Ruby Rose and the decision not to recast Kate to keep her character as star of the show. Javicia Leslie's Ryan Wilder has taken up the cape and the cowl as Batwoman after Kate went missing and was presumed by some to be dead from a plane crash. Now, "Survived Much Worse" revealed that not only is Kate alive, but she's coming back to Batwoman with another woman in the role. Rose shared her reaction to the Arrowverse recasting.

Ruby Rose didn't weigh in on the news that Krypton actress Wallis Day joined Batwoman right after the episode aired, but she has since shared her reaction to Day joining the show. In response to a post from a fan saying that Rose "will always be THE Kate Kane" and she "made Kate Kane Iconic," Rose posted an Instagram Story to share her response:

Ruby Rose revealed that she had been told that Kate Kane was recast for Batwoman before Kate's on-screen return and the news that Wallis Day would be tackling the role, so fans don't have to worry that she was blindsided with the reveal. And in fact, Day didn't appear in "Survived Much Worse," as the Kate who appeared was heavily bandaged and unrecognizable as anybody, let alone Rose or Day. The original Batwoman star is "stoked" for the new Kate Kane, proving that her support for the show continues even after her departure.

This isn't the first time that Ruby Rose has shown enthusiasm for how Batwoman is continuing after her departure, as she reacted to the news of Javicia Leslie as her replacement by congratulating her, saying that it was "amazing" and she'd be "walking into an amazing cast and crew." Rose's departure was announced at the end of Season 1 to the surprise of fans everywhere, not least because the first season wasn't setting up any kind of exit for Kate Kane.

Of course, Batwoman didn't get to finish production on the first season as planned, but no fan could have imagined Javicia Leslie taking over at Batwoman in Season 2. Plus, it was only recently that Rose dropped comments that suggested she'd be willing to reprise her role as Kate someday.

Still, this is the Arrowverse we're talking about, and things are a lot more bonkers now almost ten years in than they were back when Arrow started it all in 2012. Ruby Rose could always appear again as Kate in flashbacks, if Batwoman reveals that Kate looks like Wallis Day rather than Ruby Rose because of some kind of reconstructive surgery.

See what happens next now that Batwoman has set Kate Kane to return looking different, with the next new episode on Sunday, March 21 at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.

Warning: SPOILERS for tonight's Batwoman episode, “Survived Much Worse,” are ahead!

Although Javicia Leslie’s Ryan Wilder is now fighting crime as Batwoman in the Arrowverse, the presence of the mantle’s previous holder, Kate Kane, has very much still lingered on the CW series. In the last several weeks, it’s been revealed that Kate Kane is still alive, but was being held captive by one of Batwoman Season 2’s main villains, Safiyah, on the island of Coryana. Tonight’s episode, “Survived Much Worse,” finally reunited us with Kate, albeit with her face bandaged. But once those bandages come off, don’t expect to see Ruby Rose’s face again, as Kate has been recast.

It’s been revealed that Krypton and The Royals alum Wallis Day has taken over the role of Kate Kane on Batwoman. While Rose expressed interest earlier this month in potentially reprising Kate somewhere down the line, the Batwoman team decided to go in a different direction and simply bring a new actress aboard. To clarify, Day did not actually appear as Kate in “Survived Much Worse,” and due to the injuries she sustained from the plane crash, the character is currently unrecognizable. But we’ll see Day portray Kate later this season.

Batwoman showrunner Caroline Dries had already made it clear to fans last year after Ruby Rose exited the series that Kate Kane would not be killed off, but regarding why the series decided to go with tonight’s Kate twist, here’s what Dries told EW:

Caroline Dries also mentioned that with Season 2’s eighth episode marking the midpoint of Batwoman’s current season, she felt it was a “natural place” to bring Kate Kane back into play. As for why Wallis Day was chosen to succeed Ruby Rose as Kate, Dries mentioned that Day had auditioned for Ryan Wilder, and she thought the actress was “super cool and had great swagger and poise.” Combined with seeing people on the internet suggesting that Day take over as Kate, Dries and the other Batwoman creative minds decided bring her into the proceedings.

By the end of “Survived Much Worse,” Batwoman’s main characters are under the impression that Kate Kane did die in that plane crash, as body parts matching her DNA were discovered. But the audience knows better, but as an added twist, Safiyah also admitted that she lied about keeping Kate captive on Coryana (which has now been torched thanks to an angry Alice). Kate’s been nowhere near the island, and is instead being held prisoner somewhere in Gotham City. The latter half of Season 2 will delve into what Kate has been through since we left off with her in the Season 1 finale, and with Roman Sionis, a.k.a. Black Mask, also on the way, there’s a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks.

New episodes of Batwoman air Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW. Keep track of when your other favorite shows are airing with our 2021 winter and spring TV schedule.

From playing Abigail in Resident Evil: The Final Chapter to her stint as Kate Kane, a.k.a. Batwoman, in the Arrowverse, Ruby Rose has a lot of experience fighting fictional opponents. So who ranks #1 on her list of on-screen adversaries? I’m sorry to say to The Meg fans out there that it’s not the 2018 movie’s giant shark. Instead, Rose has declared Keanu Reeves’ John Wick as her greatest movie opponent.

Ruby Rose worked opposite Keanu Reeves in 2017’s John Wick: Chapter 2, where she played the mute assassin Ares. While speaking with NME about her new movie SAS: Red Notice, Rose ranked Sam Heughan’s character, Tom Buckingham, as one of her toughest movie opponents, but then explained why Reeves’ John Wick edged him out with the following words:

Considering how Keanu Reeves’ stuntman once said that everything we’ve heard about the actor’s pleasant demeanor is 110% true, it’s hardly shocking that Ruby Rose adores him. And as far as Rose’s work on John Wick: Chapter 2 goes, those two certainly had one of the franchise’s more memorable fights, with Ares, who worked for Riccardo Scamarcio’s Santino D’Antonio, getting into a brutal clash inside a hall of mirrors towards the end of the sequel.

Naturally John Wick came out of his fight with Ares victorious, though it was unclear whether her wounds were fatal or not. Given her absence from John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, it’s possible Ares simply expired in that hall of mirrors, but with two more John Wick movies on the way, I’m not ready to rule out that she’s simply healing from her encounter with the Baba Yaga and will eventually jump back into action. Ruby Rose clearly had a good time shooting John Wick: Chapter 2, so it’s a good bet she’d be game for another round as Ares.

2017 was a big year for Ruby Rose, because in addition to John Wick: Chapter 2, she also starred in XXX: The Return of Xander Cage and Pitch Perfect 3. This year, along with SAS: Red Notice having already come out in the United Kingdom and about to premiere in the United States, she’ll soon be seen in Vanquish. Rose’s is also slated to star in the Lionsgate comedy 1Up, and considering that her character from The Meg, Jaxx Herd, survived the havoc wreaked by the megalodon shark, perhaps that means she’ll be back alongside Jason Statham in The Meg 2.

As for Keanu Reeves, along with obviously returning for John Wick: Chapter 4 and Chapter 5, which will shoot back-to-back, he’s reprising Neo for The Matrix 4, which comes out on December 22. Stay locked on CinemaBlend for more news updates on both Reeves and Ruby Rose’s respective careers, and learn what else is hitting the big screen later this year in our upcoming 2021 movie guide.

Ruby Rose wore the iconic bat-suit for just one season on Batwoman as the titular superhero, playing Bruce Wayne’s cousin Kate Kane on The CW series. Last year, however, Rose announced she would be exiting the series ahead of Season 2, leading to a completely new Batwoman rising up thanks to actress Javicia Leslie. Now, the former star has revealed her latest thoughts about whether Kate Kane could ever make her return to Gotham in order to potentially finish Kate’s story.

While promoting her new movie SAS: Red Notice, Ruby Rose talked to ComicBookMovie.com about the possibility of Kate returning to Batwoman at any point. While Season 2’s storyline heavily revolves around trying to figure out what happened to Kate after her plane crashed, it’s not yet confirmed if she survived or not. Meanwhile, Javicia Leslie's Ryan Wilder is donning the signature suit as Gotham’s new Batwoman. And while Rose now seems more willing to make a return than before, she also finds it important to continue building up Ryan's storyline rather than going back into Kate’s without good reason. Rose explained:

Ruby Rose’s exit from Batwoman was announced last year when Season 1 came to an end. Although it wasn’t completely known why Rose left at the time, it was reported that she wasn’t entirely happy with her time on the show, both with living in Vancouver where the series films and the hours demanded for being a lead. A source close to the Vanquish star claimed it wasn’t 100 percent Rose’s decision, but that everyone agreed that it would be better if they parted ways, saying it wasn’t a good fit.

The actress later revealed her major reasoning for leaving the show was due to being in recovery from surgery and then being needed to go back to work on the action-filled drama less than two weeks after. Ruby Rose said that being the lead of a television show or movie is taxing on anyone, regardless if it’s emotional or action, and that she wasn't able to commit to that kind of process again. Her time in quarantine also gave her a lot of time to think about what she really wanted to do, and being able to have that communication between the producers meant a lot to her, as did finding a mutual respect between all involved.

Clearly, there's not enough bad blood to definitely keep Ruby Rose away from making a Batwoman cameo return if the producers reached out, so we'll just have to wait and see if and when the Arrowverse drama decides to bring her bat...I mean, back.

Although the fate of Kate Kane has yet to be confirmed, would you want Ruby Rose to return to Gotham? Let us know in the poll below! Batwoman airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.

Batwoman made big news over the summer hiatus when it was revealed that leading lady Ruby Rose was departing as Kate Kane after only one season in the cape and the cowl. While Batwoman found an exciting new star with Javicia Leslie as Ryan Wilder, there was still the question of how the show would switch from one Batwoman to another with Rose not returning to reprise her role. Well, a new Season 2 trailer (seen above) shows how Batwoman will address Kate's absence.

The trailer is packed with action to show Javicia Leslie's Ryan Wilder taking on the mantle of Batwoman and eventually putting her own spin on the costume, along with the rising threats that will require a hero on the streets. The nod to what actually happened to Kate is quick moment that comes about 12 seconds into the trailer, with what looks like a memorial to a missing Kate. Take a look:

The top headline of the Gotham City Gazette there reads "Whatever Happened To Kate Kane?" so it's clear that her absence doesn't go unnoticed on the civilian front or on the superhero front. The font is too small to read most of what is directly printed beneath the headline, but the last five words are seemingly "Woman Missing After Jet Crash." The headline of the column on the right reads "City Budget Reflects Uncertainty," but the important element of the front page is that Kate seemingly disappeared in a plane crash.

Or that's the public story, anyway. It's possible that the Gotham City Gazette printing that Kate is missing after a jet crash isn't the full story, since so much of Kate's life was still a secret as of the end of Season 1. Still, I think it would be easier for those in the know about her double life to not give any explanation for her absence at all than go for "jet crash," so there may be more to the situation than the press being fed a false story.

Her loved ones do seem to be in the dark, as several look upset, and her father says that he doesn't want to give up hope that Kate's alive. Then again, if the footage from the trailer is pulled from more episodes than the premiere (which seems likely), maybe the characters looking upset are mourning Kate. Oddly, it looks like Ryan just happens to find Kate's Batwoman suit and wig, both looking intact. If Kate really did go down in a jet crash, then she either didn't have her suit with her or it was packed in some kind of explosion-proof case.

While replacing the star of the show may not have been ideal after just one season (especially without that star returning for an on-screen sendoff), the new footage indicates that Batwoman found a badass replacement with Javicia Leslie's Ryan Wilder, and the disappearance of Kate could be a great mystery that fuels the second season, at least to start.

On the whole, I hope that Batwoman plays up the mystery angle indefinitely rather than killing Kate off. Even if Ruby Rose (who eventually explained her decision to depart her starring turn) doesn't intend to return, the possibility of Kate coming back beats a reveal that the show's original hero died off-screen. Hey, if the Arrowverse's Batman could disappear, why not Kate Kan's Batwoman?

See Javicia Leslie's debut as the new Batwoman and the mystery of Kate Kane's plane crash with Batwoman Season 2, premiering on Sunday, January 17 at 8 p.m. ET on The CW. It will be the the first Arrowverse series to premiere in The CW's delayed 2020-2021 TV season, followed by Black Lightning, The Flash, and Superman & Lois in February. For more of what's on the way in the new year, check out our 2021 winter and spring premiere schedule.

The announcement that Ruby Rose was leaving Batwoman after one season initially came as a shock. The actress was hired to play Kate Kane in 2018, first appearing as Batwoman in the Arrowverse’s “Elseworlds” crossover before going on to star in her own show last year. Around the time of her exit, Rose seemed to hint that there might be more to the story, and there were rumors that she didn’t enjoy working in Vancouver, among other things. However, she recently explained the real reason for why she decided to exit Batwoman ahead of Season 2.

The Orange is the New Black vet had to have emergency back surgery last year after she was injured on the set of The CW show and was almost paralyzed. All told, the injury definitely played a role in her decision to leave the show. Here’s what she told EW:

There’s no doubt that being a lead on such an action-packed show is “tough.” The hours are long, the on-set stunts can be dangerous, and it’s a lot for anyone to handle I’m sure. Still, when the news first went public, Ruby Rose cited that the decision to leave Batwoman wasn’t an easy one to make. Despite her recovery and the “taxing” emotional and physical toll, Rose says she loved her experience working on the show and is “proud” of everyone and of herself.

Suffice it to say, however, Ruby Rose’s injury wasn’t the only factor in her decision to leave. She reveals that Batwoman shutting down production in March and her time in quarantine led to her ruminations about her future with the superhero show. In her words:

Following Ruby Rose’s departure, Batwoman went a different route. Instead of recasting the role of Kate Kane, the show’s team decided to introduce a new character by the name of Ryan Wilder to don the cape and cowl, with Javicia Leslie was cast to play the role. Rose was “so happy” when she found out about Leslie’s casting and believes the actress is a “fantastic” choice to carry on in her place in Season 2.

Batwoman Season 2 is expected to premiere in January 2021 on The CW. The cast of the show will be present at the upcoming DC Fandome event, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates.

The “Bat” has become a symbol over the years. Of safety. Of fear. Of heroism. Of danger. Though predominantly worn by the fictional character of Bruce Wayne, the identity behind the symbol has changed a number of times, and is about to change again. Ruby Rose played Batwoman for a full season of shows on The CW. Then she stepped away, leaving room for Javicia Leslie to step into the role. And she could look like this, in her costume:

This is fan art for Javicia Leslie, posted to Twitter by ScaryKrystal. And it is scary cool how good the suit looks on Leslie. The Bat insignia on her chest, the utility belt and glove/gauntlet combination and the hair (the hair!!) all pop, giving Leslie a unique look that instantly has her standing apart from the previous mask-wearer.

In case you missed Batwoman, Ruby Rose in costume as Kate Kane looked like:

Why did Ruby Rose leave the show? The actress chose to stay silent, though the word that circulated in the trades came down to the lead actress’s reluctance to dedicate the long hours that come with being a series lead. Rose has spoken openly about her struggles with mental health. It’s possible that the strain of carrying a TV show wasn’t worth the payoff that came with being Batwoman on The CW.

Luckily, the role can be recast, and that’s where Javicia Leslie steps in. A relative newcomer, she appeared for two seasons on the CBS fantasy drama God Friended Me. But this easily will be her highest profile role.

While we are very excited to see where the show takes Javicia Leslie’s new character, Ryan Wilder, there are plenty who followed the series who wonder why she didn’t just take on the mantle of Kate Kane. There were a lot of dangling plot threads left at the end of season one of Batwoman, especially involving Alice, Kate’s thought-dead twin sister. Getting rid of Kate Kane means that the show will have to invent a new way forward, because the showrunners reportedly have stated that they will not be “killing” Kate off, and that her disappearance will be a key storyline for season two.

Maybe at the very least, Ruby Rose could return in a cameo to bring closure to Kate, as a character? She seemed to leave the show on good terms (on the surface, at least), so if the show is able to develop its new arcs for Ryan Wilder (Lesie’s character) and get audiences to invest in her journey, then seeing Kate appear as a way to bring closure to her arc would be welcome.

We’re not sure when season two of Batwoman will resume. The original season was affected by the COVID-19 shutdown, reducing its order from 22 episodes to 20. And while this fan art is dope, we expect an official shot of Javicia Leslie in her Bat suit to be released by the studio, and soon.

Less than two months after Ruby Rose went public with her shocking departure from The CW's Batwoman, the announcement was made that God Friended Me actress Javicia Leslie had been cast to fill the metaphorical boots as Batwoman's new lead (though not as Kate Kane). While Rose had maintained her silence on social media for days after she vacated the superhero role, the actress didn't waste any time in offering up her reaction to Leslie being cast as her replacement.

Hours after Batwoman announced its new star, Ruby Rose took to Instagram to shower some love down on Javicia Leslie for landing the highly coveted Arrowverse lead role. Here's what she had to say:

I think it's safe to say that Ruby Rose sounded pleased about Javicia Leslie getting confirmed to make her debut as the newest member of the Bat-family within the Arrowverse. And for the most part, fans are in full agreement with everything that Rose stated there, especially about having a Black actress as the lead role. The show's casting team definitely sought out a new star that would not only fit in with Batwoman's LGBTQ+ lifestyle, but also one that would reflect the growing charge in the entertainment industry to spotlight diversity both in front of and behind the camera.

While Ruby Rose reportedly backed out of the Batwoman role due to displeasure with the work schedule, along with physical injuries adding physical discomfort, none of those soured feelings came through in her message to Javicia Leslie. (Understandably, of couse.) Instead, Rose championed her Arrowverse successor while speaking highly of Batwoman's cast and crew.

To be expected, Javicia Leslie was more excited than anyone about getting confirmed as TV's next Batwoman. Beyond the statement she provided for The CW's big casting announcement, Leslie took to social media to give an inspirational shout-out.

Fans initially expected for Batwoman to find a new actress to play the Kate Kane character that Ruby Rose developed throughout Season 1, but showrunner Caroline Dries announced soon after that the show would be introducing a brand new alter ego, with Kate's story remaining fully intact. With Javicia Leslie now cast, it will be extremely interesting to see how the show both introduces her character Ryan Wilder, and how it wraps up loose ties from how Kate's story ended in Season 1. Will Ryan have relationships – good or bad – with Dougray Scott's Jacob Kane or Rachel Skarsten's Alice?

Batwoman, which was previously announced as a major force in the next Arrowverse crossover, is set to return to The CW for Season 2 in 2021, with fans optimistic that production will still be able to start up this fall in Vancouver as planned. In the meantime, check out all the shows that are set for premieres later this year with our Fall 2020 TV premiere schedule.

Since the Season 1 finale of Batwoman, a lot has changed behind the scenes. Ruby Rose exited the series, and it was assumed her role would simply be recast. However, it was announced soon after that Batwoman Season 2 would go in a different direction altogether and introduce a new character in the titular role. Now, one WWE star reveals that it would be “cool” to play Batwoman’s new lead.

While Kate Kane’s version of Batwoman will be replaced, series showrunner Caroline Dries and The CW are still committed to casting a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Enter WWE star Sonya Deville, whose name has come up quite often as a potential candidate. We here at CinemaBlend also think Deville would make a great Batwoman, too! The wrestler recently spoke about potentially playing “Ryan Wilder” instead of Kate. Here’s what Deville had to say about it:

There would have definitely been a lot of pressure to fill Ruby Rose’s shoes as Kate. While replacing her completely needlessly complicates things for Batwoman Season 2, inventing a whole new character for the superhero series would make it easier for Sonya Deville to “bring something very different” to the role.

During her chat with ComicBookMovie.com, the WWE star also mentioned that she first learned about the role on social media, when she was tagged by fans as a potential candidate. At the time, Sonya Deville had no idea that Ruby Rose had stepped down. Following the fancasts, Deville herself took to Twitter to express interest in the role, alongside quite a few others who threw their names into the ring for consideration.

It’s unclear who The CW will ultimately cast to play the new Batwoman. However, when asked whether she’d had any contact with the network about potentially playing the character, Sonya Deville didn’t shoot it down. In her words:

Interesting! Is it possible Sonya Deville has already auditioned for Batwoman? Maybe. For now, the wrestler is still prioritizing the WWE, which makes things a bit difficult considering Batwoman would be a full-time commitment. But “nothing is impossible,” according to the wrestling star. Fans will just have to wait and see how everything pans out.

Batwoman Season 2 is scheduled to premiere in January 2021. For more on what to watch in the meantime, be sure to check out our 2020 summer TV premiere guide.

News of Ruby Rose’s departure from Batwoman was surprising, to say the least, but what was even more shocking was learning that the producers will bring in an entirely new character instead of recasting the role. While some believe this could complicate things from a story perspective, showrunner Caroline Dries and her team seem to be all for this new direction. And it sounds like she already has an idea of how this successor will connect to Ruby Rose’s Kate Kane:

This character, who’s currently being listed with the name Ryan Wilder, sounds like she’ll be an enthusiastic, and initially inexperienced, protagonist. Despite Caroline Dries’ enthusiasm about adding a fresh face, she did admit during ATX TV…from the Couch (via Deadline) that she initially considered taking a note from soap operas and just recasting the role:

These plans changed, however, when she spoke with producer Greg Berlanti, who suggested that the right play may just be to reboot the character entirely:

There are definitely pros and cons to the decision that Caroline Dries came to. In terms of cons, integrating a new character into the show’s current storyline will be tricky. Kate Kane was set to engage in a face off (no pun intended) with Hush in Season 2. Additionally, establishing relationships between “Ryan Wilder” and Kate’s allies will take some time.

On a more positive note, this development does give the creative team a chance to reinvent the character and the show as a whole. Producer Marc Guggenheim even went as far as to call Ruby Rose’s exit a “creative opportunity.”

With the second season’s delayed premiere date, it’ll be a while before fans get to see how things play out for the Arrowverse series. But this still gives Caroline Dries plenty of time to iron out the details for Gotham’s defender.

Batwoman Season 2 is set to debut on The CW in early 2021 and, in the meantime, you can stream the first season on HBO Max.

Warning: SPOILERS for Batwoman Season 1 are ahead!

Last month, just two days after the Batwoman Season 1 finale aired, it was announced that Ruby Rose was departing the CW show, which had already been renewed for a second season. As such, it was assumed that the role of Kate Kane would be recast for Season 2, but yesterday brought word that the Batwoman team is going in a different direction. Rather than hire a new actress to put her own stamp on Kate, said actress will instead play a brand-new character.

That’s right, someone else will be donning the cape, cowl and red wig in Batwoman Season 2. This new character is identified as Ryan Wilder (possibly a placeholder name), and personality-wise, she sounds a lot different than Kate Kane. While any kind of Bat-mantle being passed onto another person is nothing new in the DC Comics mythology, the fact that Batwoman would rather have a new character in the lead role instead of simply recasting Kate makes things unnecessarily complicated, particularly when looking at the show through the lens of Kate’s personal relationships.

Kate Kane’s Relationships Are Integral To Batwoman

Obviously supporting characters in any TV show will have ties to the main character in some form or fashion, but for Batwoman, Kate Kane especially serves as the central beacon. The show’s lead villain, Alice, is Kate’s twin sister Beth, who was presumed dead for years and driven to insanity after years of being abused while held in captivity. Kate’s father, Jacob Kane, runs the Crows private security firm in Gotham City and hates Batwoman. Kate’s ex, Sophie Moore, serves on the Crows, and Kate’s step-sister, Mary Hamilton, is now part of Team Batwoman. Oh, and let’s not forget that Kate’s cousin is Bruce Wayne, a.k.a. Batman!

While these characters can still exist on Batwoman and go through their own personal journeys without Kate Kane being involved, their respective relationships with Kate are among the main reasons why fans tune into the show. Even Luke Fox, who didn’t know Kate Kane before the pilot, established an interesting dynamic with her as Season 1 progressed. It’s understandable that a new actress playing Kate wouldn’t simply replicate Ruby Rose’s performance and put her own spin on the character, but at least recasting Kate would allow for her relationships with her allies and enemies to keep evolving.

Having A New Character Be Batwoman Throws A Wrench In The Works

By bringing in a new character to suit up as Batwoman, the show has wiped a lot of the proverbial board clean. Sure, character pairings like Luke Fox and Mary Hamilton, or Jacob Kane and Sophie Moore, can keep progressing business as usual, but with a new woman serving as Batwoman, brand-new rapports need to be established with her. Okay, maybe Jacob will be just as determined to eliminate Batwoman regardless of who’s wearing the mask, but nevertheless, the show will have to dedicate a lot of time to ensuring that its starring characters building a relationship with this Ryan Wilder, something that had already been done with Kate in Season 1. When jumping into the second season of a show, all steps should be going forward, not a little bit backwards.

This particularly becomes a problem when looking at Alice and her mission of vengeance. During all of Season 1, Alice tried desperately to recruit Kate to her cause, and while there were times that Kate and Alice had to call a truce, it eventually got to a point where Kate lost all hope in Alice redeeming herself, so she decided to lock her twin sister up in Arkham Asylum. Naturally Alice didn’t stay there long, and feeling betrayed, she’s dead-set on punishing Kate, to the point that she poisoned her adoptive brother, Mouse, when he tried to convince her to stop. With Kate out of the picture, Alice can certainly still wreak havoc in Gotham City and focus on make her father suffer, but her machinations will ultimately be less personal, and thus less compelling to watch. Speaking of Alice’s plan…

This Move Slightly Tarnishes The Batwoman Season 1 Finale

On Earth-Prime, i.e. the Arrowverse’s main universe, Bruce Wayne has been missing for years, and there’s been no indication of where he is or why he left Gotham City (though it might have something to do with killing The Joker). It’s hard to say if/when we’ll see Bruce on Batwoman, but his face will prominently featured in Season 2. Alice and Tommy Elliot, a.k.a. Hush, are now working together, with Alice promising Tommy that she’d make him a worthy new face. She finally delivered on that promise in the Batwoman Season 1 finale, as in the episode’s final minutes, we saw that Tommy is now the spitting image of Bruce, and he’s all too willing to use his new visage to aid Alice with whatever she’s cooked up next.

Obviously the sudden reemergence of Bruce Wayne in Gotham City is going to cause quite a stir among the general populace, and there’s still room through the personal ramifications of Tommy Elliot looking like Bruce through Jacob Kane (Bruce’s uncle), Luke Fox (Bruce’s friend) and Julia Pennyworth (the daughter of his trusty butler/father figure). However, missing out on seeing Kate briefly think her cousin has returned, and then learning that it’s actually Tommy wearing Bruce’s face, is a wasted opportunity. Even if this Ryan Wilder ends up actually being someone familiar from the Batman mythos, like Stephanie Brown or Cassandra Cain, it just won’t be as engaging to watch her wrestle with a faux Bruce Wayne running around than it would have been with Kate.

None of this is to say that Batwoman Season 2 will be necessarily be terrible to watch. With so many details about Season 2 still being kept close to the chest, it’s impossible to predict its quality. And hey, maybe the writers have come up with a seamless way to bring Ryan Wilder into the fold, and maybe she’ll become a fan-favorite.

Still, it wasn’t necessary to bring in a brand-new character to take on the Batwoman mantle when Kate Kane could could have easily been played by a new actress. The MCU successfully handled recasting War Machine and Hulk, and there’s no reason to think that going this route would have been problematic.

Batwoman Season 2 will air sometime in early 2021 on The CW, so keep checking in with CinemaBlend for more news about it. For now, you can keep track of what’s currently on the air with our handy TV schedule.

Batwoman made big news back in May despite the early hiatus due to the announcement that leading lady Ruby Rose was departing after only one full season in the cape and the cowl. At the time, the plan to replace Rose seemed to be to find an actress to step into the role of Kate Kane in Season 2 and beyond, and several actresses threw their hats into the ring. Now, the show is reportedly moving in a very different direction and replacing Kate Kane altogether and making another woman Batwoman.

Ruby Rose's Kate Kane will be replaced by a character named "Ryan Wilder," according to Decider, which cites a casting call for such a character that has since been deleted. The casting call allegedly was looking for a "Ryan Wilder" who is "female, Mid-late 20s, any ethnicity," as the woman "about to become Batwoman." The description of the new lead character is that she's "nothing like Kate Kane," "goofy and untamed" as well as "likable" and "messy."

Given that casting calls are known to use fake names to prevent spoilers, "Ryan Wilder" may not be the name of the character who will step into Kate Kane's bat-boots when the show resumes for Season 2. Interestingly, however, there isn't really an obvious character from the pages of DC Comics who could take over. Unlike The Flash, Batgirl, and even Batman to a certain extent, Kate Kane is really the only big character many would associate with Batwoman.

Does this mean that Batwoman will go for a new leading lady who is completely original to the series, a la Arrow with Felicity Smoak and Legends of Tomorrow with pretty much everybody? Or will the second Arrowverse Batwoman be a comics character with a twist? Whatever direction the show goes, the new Batwoman will evidently be brand new to the show, if Batwoman is looking to bring in an outside actress rather than switch an existing character into the role.

The replacement of Kate Kane raises some very big questions, not the least of which is how Batwoman will continue to play with connections to Bruce Wayne when the closest connection -- a.k.a. his cousin Kate -- is no longer around. A lot of characters are primarily connected to Kate; if Ruby Rose is done with the character for good and isn't planning on reprising the role for a farewell, Batwoman will have a lot of loose ends to tie off.

If only this had happened before the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover! A Batwoman switcheroo would have been easy to explain immediately after Crisis, considering all the other changes. While viewers would have had to suspend their disbelief about Kate suddenly looking different if Batwoman had gone with recasting the character, the show still faces some big challenges in reorganizing around a new central character. Hey, at least our picks to play the new Batwoman are still valid!

If you want to relive Ruby Rose's one and only season as Kate Kane, you can find the first season of The CW's newest superhero show streaming on HBO Max, although the rest of the Arrowverse series are currently streaming over on Netflix. For some additional viewing options now and in the not-too-distant future, check out our 2020 summer premiere schedule.

In an unprecedented move, Ruby Rose exited Batwoman after just one season and it was confirmed that the role would be recast for Season 2. Her departure marked the first time in Arrowverse history that a lead was being replaced and the announcement shocked many fans. It was initially reported that Rose was allegedly unhappy filming such long hours and that the decision to part ways with Batwoman wasn't entirely up to her.

However, the actress recently addressed her departure from the Arrowverse, revealing that staying silent was her “choice for now.” Ruby Rose conceded that it wasn’t an easy decision to leave Batwoman behind, but that “those who know, know.” The implication is, of course, that there’s more to the story, though nothing has been confirmed.

Since the announcement of Ruby Rose’s exit, many have likely been wondering who would be cast in her place. The CW is still looking to find an actress who is a member of the LGBTQ community. Keeping in mind that the act of physically changing someone’s face is canon on The CW series, Kate’s face change could be recognized within the scope of the story or be completely ignored. Either way, here are six actresses who could replace Rose as Kate Kane on Batwoman.

Stephanie Beatriz

Stephanie Beatriz is best known for her role as Detective Rosa Diaz in the comedy series Brooklyn Nine-Nine. She's also starring in the upcoming Lin-Manuel Miranda musical In the Heights and has done voice work for Bob's Burgers and Netflix’s BoJack Horseman.

Stephanie Beatriz was one of the first actresses to express interest in playing Batwoman and as soon as I saw it I thought it would be a brilliant choice. The actress is versatile, has the build, and acting chops to pull off the iconic role. As Rosa, Beatriz has shown she can be tough while also having a soft spot. She is also openly bisexual.

Evan Rachel Wood

The actress has had a long and storied career, but she's best known for playing Dolores Abernathy on HBO's hit show Westworld. Wood's other notable roles include voicing Elsa and Anna's mother in Frozen 2, a stint on HBO's True Blood, and starred in the movie Thirteen.

Evan Rachel Wood is openly bisexual and has identified herself as Jewish. That's important because Kate Kane is also Jewish and many fans have been clamoring to see that representation onscreen as well. Beyond that, Wood has tremendous experience carrying a show, is very talented, and would be a great fit.

Samira Wiley

Samira Wiley played the beloved Poussey Washington for four seasons on Netflix’s Orange is the New Black, which also briefly starred Ruby Rose. Wiley's most recent roles include Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale, where she stars alongside Elisabeth Moss, and in the comedy series Ryan Hansen Solves Crime on Television.

Samira Wiley is openly gay and there's no doubt that she could pull off the role of Kate Kane. Wiley has shown great range and is capable of balancing dark and emotional material and humor. She also has a distinct and wonderful onscreen presence. Gotham City would be lucky to have her.

Jade Tailor

You might know Jade Tailor from her five-season stint on Syfy's The Magicians, where she played Kady. The actress also appeared in the 2017 sci-fi thriller called Altered Perception. Jade Tailor is no stranger to bizarre sci-fi stories and had plenty of action sequences on The Magicians.

Tailor has also expressed interest in playing Kate Kane on Twitter, explaining how she's already played a badass onscreen and would do so again as Batwoman. She even dropped a video of herself rehearsing a fight scene, so she's ready.

Sonya Deville

Daria Rae Berenato, better known as Sonya Deville, is not the traditional pick, simply because she isn't much of an actress. Deville is a wrestler and mixed martial artist who rose to fame on WWE's Tough Enough and in appearances on Smackdown. Deville is also the first openly gay female wrestler.

Sonya Deville has only appeared in a couple of projects outside of WWE, like 2013’s The Honour, but she would surely nail the fight sequences so prevalent on Batwoman. And hey, if The Mandalorian's Gina Carano and Furious 7's Ronda Rousey could successfully transition from the world of MMA to having major careers in television and film, then there's no doubt that Deville could do the same.

Ashley Platz

The actress has spent most of her career in guest starring roles, appearing in The Bold Type as Kat's love interest, in Grey’s Anatomy, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Netflix’s GLOW, among several other TV shows. Ashley Platz is probably best known for her role as Nurse Katie in the 2018 horror film Big Legend. Platz identifies as bisexual/pansexual and she’s an actress with a lot to offer if given the chance.

It’s probably a little known fact, but Ashley Platz actually auditioned to play Batwoman back in 2018. Her audition tape was posted on Twitter and drew a lot of attention. And honestly, I think she was pretty good. It’s possible that The CW might cast someone from the pool of actresses who have already auditioned before. If that’s the case, then Platz may actually have a chance, but only time will tell for now.

Batwoman Season 1 ended prematurely, but left off with an impressive cliffhanger that saw the villainous Hush gifted with the face of Bruce Wayne. However, fans will have to wait a bit longer to find out what happens because Season 2 isn’t set to return until January 2021. That leaves plenty of time to cast an actress to replace Ruby Rose’s titular character.

Of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list, so who do you think should play Kate Kane/Batwoman? Let us know in the comments section!

In the meantime, stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates on Batwoman and the casting process. While waiting for the show’s return, be sure to check out our 2020 summer TV premiere guide for more on what to watch.

As big as all the shocks were in Batwoman's first season on The CW, from the Alice twists to the Hush storyline, nothing could have prepared fans for star Ruby Rose to suddenly quit the superhero drama. Unfortunately, the actress' exit was made public just two days after the impromptu Season 1 finale. Also surprisingly, Rose went more a week without bringing the topic up with her fanbase, but that has now changed.

Ruby Rose took to social media this week to deliver an update for everyone who has wondered about and worried about the actress following her split from Batwoman after only a single season. And it's just cryptic enough for Bruce Wayne to scratch his head over. Check out what she had to say in her Instagram post below.

To start things off, Ruby Rose delivered the expected graciousness to everyone who helped make her Batwoman journey possible, while choosing to avoid naming names. Her justification is sound, since it would take exhaustive tagging to note everyone involved with the TV production, but the fact that she didn't tag anyone could imply that there's someone in particular that she wanted to avoid calling out.

After all, the next part of her post is the most oblique, with Ruby Rose saying that her decision to bounce from Batwoman was a difficult one to make, and indicating that only certain people are fully aware of the situation. Recent rumors claimed that Rose did not enjoy relocating to Vancouver for the production, and that she did not adjust well to the long hours that it took takes to make Arrowverse episodes week in and week out. This reportedly led to a not-exactly-mutual split, and Rose's words definitely make it seem like there were more issues at play.

Ruby Rose also addressed her recent silence on the matter, defending the choice to do so while also understanding that staying quiet wouldn't be a very good way to show appreciation to everyone that she worked with on Batwoman. And in a classy move, Rose exited the post with the prediction that Batwoman will continue to succeed in Season 2 with whatever actress gets brought in to replace her. (Check out three actresses who have already been favorited as the new Kate Kane.)

Though Batwoman won't be on her plate for the future, Ruby Rose will pop up in several new projects in the coming months. Having recently taken part in a virtual Shakespeare performance of Twelfth Night, Rose has the films SAS: Red Notice and Doorman set to release at some point, and she also voices the lead role in the animated horror-comedy Cranston Academy: Monster Zone. None of those films have release dates yet, however.

Check out Ruby Rose's full post below, complete with a looking-back video.

Do you think there's something fishy about Ruby Rose's Batwoman exit, or does everything seem perfectly fine? Who do you guys think should replace Rose as Kate Kane for Season 2? Let us know in the comments, and while waiting for the second season to arrive – it won't happen until 2021 – be sure to check out our Summer 2020 TV schedule to see what new and returning shows are popping up soon.

Last week, the Arrowverse was rocked with the news that Batwoman star Ruby Rose would be departing the title role after only one season. This leaves the superhero show in a tricky situation, as the producers must now recast the role before production begins on Season 2. Despite this, the creatives are trying to look on the bright side, and there may now be even more cause for positivity. A number of actresses have been voicing their interest in taking over the role, and three big stars have joined them in throwing their hats in the ring.

Wallis Day, who many some DC fans likely know for playing Superman’s grandmother Nyssa-Vex on Krypton, appears to be open to playing Batwoman. The actress took to social media to express her thanks to those who have been fancasting her in the role. Although she didn’t explicitly confirm that she’s pursuing the role, she certainly didn’t shoot down the idea:

Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Stephanie Beatriz is another fan-favorite to take over the role of Kate Kane. Beatriz, like Day, is well aware that fans would like to see her play the bat, and she replied to the buzz with a simple and cheeky message:

Though Wallis Day and Stephanie Beatriz were somewhat coy in terms of whether or not they will actually pursue the part, The Magicians star Jade Tailor was completely open about her desire to join the Arrowverse. She even touted her fighting skills with a behind-the-scenes clip:

Since posting her original tweet, which she currently has pinned at the top of her page, Tailor has also retweeted articles that have fancasted her in the role. So far, she’s definitely been the most direct when it comes to donning the cape and cowl.

To say that Ruby Rose’s Batwoman has sent waves through Hollywood would be an understatement. Even Billy Eichner is (or isn’t) joking about taking on the role.

One thing that can be said is that each actress is capable of portraying the superheroine. Both Wallis Day and Jade Tailor have experience within genre television, which would prepare them for the more heightened elements of Batwoman. Although Stephanie Beatriz hasn’t worked too much within sci-fi or fantasy, her work on Brooklyn Nine-Nine has allowed her to utilize a bit of physically from time to time, which would serve her well as Kate Kane. And of course, all have strong acting abilities.

There’s no telling when The CW and Batwoman teams will announce a replacement for Ruby Rose. Casting can take time, especially when it comes to lead actors and, given the world’s current crisis, auditioning could be somewhat tricky. Regardless, the producers should feel comforted knowing that so many people have taken an interest in becoming the new lead, and it’ll be interesting to see if any of them are considered.

Batwoman is set to return to The CW for its second season in early 2021.

After one season and two crossovers, Ruby Rose parted ways with the Arrowverse’s Batwoman. Her shocking exit was followed by reports that she was allegedly unhappy with the grueling filming schedule and location, but that the decision to leave was reportedly not entirely up to her. The role of Kate Kane/Batwoman was being recast ahead of Batwoman Season 2 on the CW. Now that she’s no longer playing a superhero, however, what’s Rose doing after her Batwoman exit?

The Australian actress has been keeping busy. Prior to playing Batwoman, Ruby Rose was in The Meg, a sci-fi horror film she starred in alongside The Office vet Rainn Wilson and Jason Statham. Now that Rose will arguably have more time on her hands, some of the projects that she’s been working on include movie work and even some Shakespeare.

A Virtual Reading Of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night

Ruby Rose recently joined a star-studded cast, including Never Have I Ever’s Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and Rose’s former Batwoman co-star Nicole Kang, for a virtual reading of William Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night. The live-stream reading took place on Friday, May 22 on YouTube and benefited Acting for a Cause, a charity organization raising money for a hospital in Chicago.

Ruby Rose played Viola. Ship-wrecked and separated from her twin brother Sebastian, Viola pretends to be a boy named Cesario to get a job. For the role, Rose started off wearing a blonde wig as Viola before taking it off to reveal her newly dyed hair when reading as Cesario.

Batwoman And Jamie Fraser Join Forces In SAS: Red Notice

After filming her introductory appearance in the “Elseworlds” Arrowverse crossover, Ruby Rose headed across the pond to Europe to film the movie SAS: Red Notice. The action thriller sees Rose starring alongside Outlander’s Sam Hueghan, Andy Serkis, and Tom Wilkinson.

After a group of hijackers threaten to blow up the Eurostar train beneath the English Channel, the SAS operator (Hueghan) must work to stop them and save 400 hostages. The film wrapped production in February 2019, but doesn’t yet have a scheduled release date. It's also worth noting this movie is different than Netflix's Red Notice, starring Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot and Ryan Reynolds.

Ruby Rose Plays Ex-Marine Officer In Doorman

In Doorman, Ruby Rose stars as a former Marine-turned-doorwoman whose attempts at a normal life are thwarted when her workplace is attacked by mercenaries. The film was directed by Midnight Meat Train’s Ryuhei Kitamura. The film is reportedly in post-production, but Doorman doesn’t yet have a release date.

Ruby Rose Gets Animated In Cranston Academy: Monster Zone

In the animated horror-comedy, Ruby Rose voices the character of Liz, a 15-year-old high school student who assists her rival after he unleashes monsters from another dimension. Cranston Academy: Monster Zone was supposed to be released in Mexico in November 2019, but has been postponed, although the animated film opened in Portugal in March 2020.

I’m sure Ruby Rose will have a lot more projects lined up in the future, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates. In the meantime, Batwoman fans can still watch Rose as the titular heroine over on The CW's website and app, where all 20 episodes of Season 1 are available to stream.

Last week, superhero fans were shocked to learn that Batwoman star Ruby Rose would be leaving her role as the titular heroine after only one season. This, of course, leaves the show’s producers with the massive task of having recasting the part before starting production on the upcoming second season. For many, this could be viewed as a difficult and stressful job, but Arrowverse guru Marc Guggenheim seems to have found a silver lining. He not only appears to be at ease about the development, but he even sees it as an opportunity:

At first glance, the sentiments that Marc Guggenheim shared with Collider may be somewhat surprising but, when you really think about it, he has a point. Sure, the Batwoman team is in a tough situation, but those kinds of instances can serve as periods of creative inspiration.

In this case, showrunner Caroline Dries and her collaborators have the opportunity to take a step back and consider how they want to proceed with a new actress. This could lead to a reinvention of the character that may be a better fit for the series and the Arrowverse as a whole.

Not much is known about exactly why Ruby Rose decided to exit the newest show in the Arrowverse, but reports point to her departure being a mutual decision between her and The CW. It’s also been mentioned that she reportedly didn’t enjoy working long hours as the series’ lead and didn’t adjust to shooting in Vancouver. There haven’t been any reports of Batwoman having a negative set environment, but maybe this transition will also help to smooth out this aspect of production.

In the midst of this transition, it’s currently unclear if the Batwoman crew is planning to change anything story-wise. The first season finished with the introduction of Tommy Elliot, aka Hush, who is currently impersonating Kate Kane’s cousin, Bruce Wayne. With this, his role is intended to expand in Season 2. On top of this, a crossover with the upcoming Superman & Lois is also being planned.

The DC Comics show may be facing a tricky situation right now, but Marc Guggenheim’s thoughts should, at the very least, put some fans at ease. Let’s hope Kate Kane’s story can still keeping moving in the right direction.

Batwoman is set to return to The CW for its second season in early 2021.

Introduced as a rich realtor whose sole purpose in life was to be better than Bruce Wayne, Tommy Elliot, aka Hush, was clearly obsessed with all things Batman. At the end of Batwoman’s Season 1 finale, Alice bestowed Tommy with Bruce’s face so that he could walk right into Wayne’s company and retrieve the kryptonite Alice so badly wanted. Batwoman showrunner Caroline Dries revealed some big plans for Hush in Season 2. But, could those plans change following Ruby Rose’s departure from the show?

Batwoman Season 1 was seemingly building up to a major confrontation between Kate Kane and Hush, but the freshman superhero series was cut short due to Hollywood-wide production shutdowns and lost out on two episodes. That said, the unintended season finale cliffhanger still worked in Batwoman’s favor and hinted at even bigger things to come for Tommy Elliot’s version of Bruce Wayne. Caroline Dries spoke about some of the Season 2 challenges he might be facing now that he’s masquerading as Gotham City’s millionaire playboy. Here’s what she told TVLine:

It sounds like Tommy will have to be mighty careful if he plans on pulling off his Bruce Wayne impersonation well enough to go undetected. Now that he has a new face, will Tommy even want the old one back? Gabriel Mann was such a great addition to the season that it’d be a shame if he never showed back up. Here’s what Dries had to say on whether we’ve seen the last of Mann as Tommy:

It's been just a few short days since we learned Ruby Rose was stepping down from her part as Batwoman. The role will be recast ahead of Season 2 and given a lot is in flux right now,  it’s possible that the dynamic with Hush could be tweaked to suit whatever storyline the writers will need to come up with to mask Rose’s exit.

However, Hush’s storyline might stay the same and only Kate’s will change. It’s also possible that the writing will ignore the fact that someone else will be playing the character at all, and carry on like nothing’s happened. It wouldn’t be the first time a TV show has done it, either. Of course, that’s all speculation at this point and there’s no way of knowing for sure how Ruby Rose’s departure will impact Batwoman in Season 2 until it’s confirmed by the series’ creative team and producers.

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates. Season 1 is currently available to watch on The CW’s website. Batwoman Season 2 is scheduled to premiere in January 2021, alongside The Flash, Black Lightning, and freshman Arrowverse series Superman & Lois.

Why did Ruby Rose want to leave Batwoman? That is the question on many minds, and now it reportedly has an answer. The Arrowverse was shaken to its very core with the shocking news that Rose would be exiting the title role on The CW series. Yesterday (May 19), it was announced that Rose would be leaving the show ahead of its second season.

Batwoman was renewed earlier this year. Following Ruby Rose’s departure, the role of Kate Kane will be recast. So, what led to the search for the next Batwoman to get underway in the first place? TVLine reports that Rose wasn't entirely happy with her time on the show. What was the problem? Well, two major aspects which were, reportedly, at play were the demanding filming schedule that Batwoman required, as well as the show’s Vancouver filming location. Rose allegedly did not adjust well to living there or working the long hours needed to lead a TV drama.

Apparently, though, it was not entirely Rose’s decision to leave her leading role, and, according to a source close to the show (who remained unnamed), it was more of a "breakup."

Putting all of this together, a mutual decision for Rose to depart Batwoman was made. The surprising news comes after Batwoman was announced as having a significant role in the Arrowverse’s next crossover.

Batwoman and Superman & Lois will be the only shows to anchor the next Arrowverse crossover event, which is set to span a two-hour block. The formerly Ruby Rose-led series played an integral role in the latest crossover to-date, and even gave fans a Smallville reunion. In its wake, Batwoman worked to remain grounded in spite of the changes brought on by “Crisis on Infinite Earths.”

Now it is known that Ruby Rose will not be starring in the next crossover to hit The CW. Interestingly, Rose’s introduction into the Arrowverse came via one of its crossovers, with her being cast as Kate Kane/Batwoman for the 2018-2019 event.

The Batwoman series joining the Arrowverse was not far behind, but the road leading to its realization was, arguably, not a smooth ride for Ruby Rose. She left Twitter after an online backlash broke out once she was announced as Batwoman. That is not the only adversity Rose has endured, either, because there had been a serious physical injury for her to overcome, as well.

Ruby Rose later detailed the neck injury, understandably calling the experience “terrifying.” Months later, a crew member was paralyzed during an on-set accident, but neither of those incidents reportedly played into Rose’s decision to exit Batwoman. All told, Rose’s time on the superhero drama came to an earlier close than most fans would have expected, and in more than one way.

Along with Rose leaving the series after one season, Batwoman was not able to bring its first season to a full close. The series was one of many forced to shut down early this year, and didn't get to film the planned finale for Season 1. As such, Batwoman’s second season will not premiere this fall, but it and other CW series will return in early 2021.

So, it will be a while before Batwoman fans get to see Ruby Rose’s replacement in action. The series’ impromptu Season 1 finale left fans with a lot to contemplate in the meantime, thanks to its Bruce Wayne-related twist. Now, the search is on to see who will take over for Rose as Kate Kane when the fallout from said twist plays out next season.

Batwoman’s first season will be available to stream on HBO Max this year. While you wait for the new streamer’s launch and the return of Batwoman to The CW, you can keep busy with this summer’s premieres.

After just one season in the role, it was announced that Ruby Rose was leaving Batwoman ahead of Season 2. Suffice it to say that the news was pretty shocking. Her departure marked the first time a leading role would have to be recast in all of Arrowverse history, so it was a big deal. Who could replace Rose in the role of Kate Kane / Batwoman? Well, one American Horror Story star has thrown his hat in the ring for consideration.

Batwoman Season 1 ended with Alice bestowing Tommy Elliot with a whole new face, that of billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne. It was a great way to cap off the freshman season after production shutdowns in March reduced the episode order. With the superhero show already renewed for Season 2, things were looking up. Then, unexpectedly, Ruby Rose parted ways with the series. That left a gaping hole to fill, and American Horror Story vet Billy Eichner took to Twitter to express his interest in taking on that responsibility. Check out his post below!

Billy Eichner would certainly make for a fun casting, though I’m not sure it’s what The CW and Warner Bros. had in mind. He’s got a lot of time on his hands, so he made another post asking about possibly playing Batwoman. His passion for Kate Kane was very much alive! Read what he said below.

Naturally, the Parks and Recreation alum was joking about playing Batwoman, but it’s pretty funny nonetheless. That said, if the actor were to, theoretically, play the red-haired superhero, I’d imagine his weapon of choice would be a cleaning product. Disinfecting the soles of his shoes? That’s dedication to cleanliness right there.

Ruby Rose was first cast as Batwoman ahead of the Arrowverse’s “Elseworlds” crossover event in 2018 and appeared to assist Green Arrow, The Flash, and Supegirl in their search for John Deegan. A few months later, in May of 2019, Batwoman was picked up to series by The CW. Rose’s shocking choice to step down from playing Batwoman proved to be a “very difficult decision,” but she made it clear that she was “truly grateful” for the opportunity to play Kate Kane.

The role of Batwoman will definitely be recast in the coming months, though how far along in the process The CW might be is currently unclear. If the search doesn’t go well and things get really desperate, Billy Eichner seems more than ready to don the cape and cowl. Either way, it looks like Tommy Elliot isn’t the only one who’ll have a new face in Season 2.

Batwoman Season 2, along with new seasons of The Flash, Black Lightning and freshman series Superman & Lois, won’t premiere until January 2021. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates. For more on what to watch in the meantime, be sure to check out our 2020 summer TV premiere guide.

Batwoman may have already wrapped for the 2019-2020 TV season, but that doesn't mean the end of huge news for the Arrowverse's newest superhero show. Star Ruby Rose is leaving the role of Kate Kane, a.k.a. Batwoman, behind after only one full season on The CW.

News of Ruby Rose's departure comes just days after the Season 1 finale of Batwoman, although the episode was not originally intended to be the last of Batwoman this season. THR reports that Warner Bros. TV, which produces the series, has decided to recast the role. Batwoman won't continue without a Batwoman.

Season 2 of Batwoman was ordered back in January 2020, well before production on Season 1 had to halt, making the news of Ruby Rose's departure all the more surprising. Rose herself addressed the difficult decision to depart Batwoman, saying this:

Batwoman became the first out lesbian superhero starring in her own TV series when the show officially launched in 2019, although Ruby Rose had previously debuted as Kate Kane in the Arrowverse's big "Elseworlds" crossover between Arrow, The Flash, and Supergirl. Interestingly, the loss of Ruby Rose as star of Batwoman comes less than half a season after the conclusion of the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" mega crossover event, which might have given Batwoman an in-universe opening to recast Kate.

After all, other Arrowverse characters (and certainly shows) went through big changes after "Crisis," so another actress turning up as Kate wouldn't have been the biggest leap, although fans would have been left wondering why Spectre-Oliver decided to replace Kate as one of his changes.

As for the production teams behind Batwoman and the Arrowverse overall, Warner Bros. TV, The CW, and Berlanti Productions commented on the departure of Ruby Rose in a joint statement, thanking Rose "for her contributions to the success of our first season" and wishing her the best. The statement also made it clear that the goal is to cast "a new lead actress and member of the LGBTQ community."

Casting a new lead for the Arrowverse series that fully brought in Gotham City and classic characters associated with Batman is no small deal, although the process of replacing Ruby Rose for Season 2 may not be as rushed as in a normal TV season. Due to the production delays throughout the TV season that forced many (although not all) CW shows to end early, Batwoman and the other Arrowverse shows aren't scheduled to return with new episodes until early 2021.

Not a whole lot of details were available about what the second season would involve before news of Ruby Rose's decision to leave, although it was already announced that the annual multi-show Arrowverse crossover would be much smaller, with possibly only Batwoman and the upcoming Superman & Lois coming together for a two-parter.

Only time will tell how Batwoman moves forward with a new leading lady and if Batwoman will acknowledge that Kate Kane looks very different in the new season. Without "Crisis" as an option to explain the recasting, Batwoman would arguably be better off just moving forward without noting the change in-universe.

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in superhero news, and be sure to check out our 2020 summer premiere schedule for some viewing options now that Batwoman and the rest of the Arrowverse series aside from Legends of Tomorrow have come to an end for the 2019-2020 TV season.

The CW's Batwoman has been name-dropping and referencing famous Gotham City villains since the beginning of Season 1. A pre-Two-Face Harvey Dent was revealed to be the uncle of villain Duela Dent, while Dr. Jonathan Crane (a.k.a. The Scarecrow) got his own nod when August Cartwright confirmed that's who he’d gotten his tank of fear gas from. With Batman having been gone for several years, many have wondered why his arch-nemesis The Joker hasn’t taken over the city yet, and Batwoman finally revealed that it might be because he’s dead.

The Vampire Diaries’ Paul Wesley directed Batwoman’s latest episode, “A Narrow Escape,” which saw Ruby Rose’s Kate Kane struggling in the wake of killing Cartwright. Prior to his murder, she was proud of being Batwoman, but now that she knew she was capable of murder, Kate had less of a desire to be Gotham’s hero. She panicked whenever she fought anyone, convinced that she would ultimately kill them. What’s more, she felt like she had broken Batman’s unspoken moral code by killing someone.

So when Kate finally revealed to Luke Fox what she’d done to Cartwright, Luke assuaged her guilt by heavily implying that Batman had committed the same kind of act by killing off the Joker. Here’s exactly what he said to Kate:

Sure, Luke didn’t come out and say that Batman 100% killed the Joker himself, or even that Joker is 100% dead. However, considering the context of the conversation, and Kate’s guilt over murdering a madman like Cartwright, Luke’s implication all but confirmed that Batman had some of Joker’s blood on his hands, regardless of how everything played out. I doubt Luke was talking about staring into James Cameron's The Abyss, after all.

Personally speaking, the reveal was a nice addition to the show's mythos, because Kate always saw Bruce as an infallible human being who was incapable of fatally harming others. She put a lot of pressure on herself to be like him. The conversation with Luke proved cathartic for her, and it seemingly proved that heroes aren’t perfect, no matter what suit they wear.

The moment was also a clever way for the Batwoman writers to finally reference the Clown Prince of Crime while delivering a believable reason why he’ll probably never show up in the Arrowvers as a major threat. It’s also possible that The Joker’s death was what led Bruce to leave Gotham City behind. Maybe he was too afraid that he would turn into his “Crisis on Infinite Earths” counterpart, a darker Batman who killed Superman and countless others. However, it’s hard to tell whether viewers will ever get any confirmation on that front.

New episodes of Batwoman air every Sunday night at 8:00 p.m. ET on The CW. The series will end its freshman season with Episode 19 instead of 22, having shut down production in March. For more on what to watch, be sure to check out our 2020 summer premiere guide, as well as our list of all the big TV finales coming soon.

Action stunts are no joke and Batwoman’s Ruby Rose learned that firsthand. Ahead of the freshman season of Batwoman, cast appearances at San Diego Comic-Con and PaleyFest had been cancelled, presumably due to filming schedules. However, it was odd because the latest Arrow-verse series is new to The CW and that usually means heavily promoting the show at every opportunity. However, Rose recently revealed that she’d undergone major neck surgery after doing several stunts and it brought everything into perspective.

Last week, Ruby Rose, who's best known for her role on Netflix’s Orange is the New Black, posted a video from her surgery, explaining that she needed to undergo emergency surgery because she’d “herniated two discs doing stunts, and they were close to severing my spinal cord.” That’s pretty scary and explains why she was MIA for awhile.

Appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Ruby Rose, who was cast to play Kate Kane / Batwoman ahead of last year’s Arrow-verse crossover, “Elseworlds,” provided further details regarding the traumatizing experience and the state of her neck.

Not only was she almost paralyzed, but the actress also said that she experienced an allergic reaction to her Batwoman cowl and she broke out in hives for five days. Additionally, Ruby Rose admitted how she’d hoped her insurance would cover the cost of the surgery, especially considering how important it was that she have it. However, she says that she ended up paying out-of-pocket and that she was grateful she could afford to do that, while also making a dig at insurance companies.

You can watch Ruby Rose's full interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon below.

Following Ruby Rose’s appearance as Batwoman in “Elseworlds,” The CW announced that a solo Batwoman series had been picked up for the 2019-2020 season. The series is executive produced by former The Vampire Diaries writer and showrunner Caroline Dries and WB / CW staple and mega-producer, Greg Berlanti.

The series follows Kate Kane, who takes up the mantle of Gotham’s resident vigilante in the absence of her cousin, Bruce Wayne, who’s been gone for ten years. But don’t expect Kate’s history to parallel her cousin’s. Kate is a former soldier and, after being dishonorably discharged from the military, made her way back to Gotham to pick up the pieces of her life and the broken city Batman left behind.

Batwoman makes its grand debut on Sunday, October 6 at 8 p.m. ET on The CW. To see when the other Arrow-verse shows are set to return, check out our fall TV guide for dates and times.

Stunt work is one of the riskiest jobs in Hollywood, and while the work may not always look as devastating or high stakes as it does on screen, it can still be dangerous. One person reminding viewers of the risk involved in that hazardous job profession is Batwoman star Ruby Rose, who recently underwent emergency surgery. Rose went under the knife recently following injuries from stunt work that could've left her paralyzed.

The news came from Ruby Rose, who explained what's happening with that new scar on her neck fans had been asking her about. Rose said that's from the surgery, and shared a bit of what she was going through prior to having the work done.

Great Grey's Anatomy reference, but holy hell Batwoman! That's quite a scary thing Ruby Rose had to deal with so it's good to hear that, presumably, things have gone well post-surgery. It doesn't seem like her presence on Batwoman will be impacted all that much, though one would reckon she may not do quite as much stunt work as she's done in the past.

By the way, for anyone wondering what that video part in the quote was all about, Ruby Rose shared the video of the procedure on her personal Instagram. Squeamish souls may be best served to skip this one, especially if they're uncomfortable with seeing someone be cut open and have their neck operated on! This video really gets up close and personal.

Random thought, but think of the sheer amount of specialized surgeons Gotham City needs with folks like Batwoman running around and breaking bones every which way! The villains in this version of Gotham at least won't need to worry about Batman running amok, unless Kevin Conroy's Batman plans on a making a home there after "Crisis on Infinite Earths."

Supergirl's Melissa Benoist Explains How Kara Feels About Kate Kane's Batwoman

Batwoman premieres on The CW Sunday, October 6 at 8:00 p.m. ET. CinemaBlend will be the place to be for news on it going forward, as well as the source for any other news happening in the world of fall television as we march towards the end of the year.

When the next big CW DC series Batwoman finally hits TV screens this fall, we’ll get to see Ruby Rose’s Kate Kane wear the cape as well as have her own lesbian love interest. Ruby Rose recently talked a little bit about the upcoming superhero drama striving to be inclusive and feature a strong lesbian lead, noting that she hopes adding the lead character to the network will “change lives" once it hits the airwaves.

Speaking at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour, Ruby Rose talked about growing up and identifying as LGBTQ but not seeing representation of herself on the small screen. That's changing a bit more now, and when Batwoman over at the CW came her way, the actress was able to see the passion her character Kate exudes for her flame Sophie and how it spoke to her on a personal level as she was in the process of deciding whether or not to take the CW role. She talked more about this, saying,

Speaking to reporters after a CW presentation at TCA's summer press tour, Batwoman leadRuby Rose spoke out about how it was her vision (as well as the two producers on Batwoman, Caroline Dries and Sarah Schechter) to bring the masses a story that she wishes had been on television when she was growing up.

Ruby Rose went on to tell reporters (via THR) the series should have something for everyone, despite giving representation to the LGBTQ community. Alternatively, if it's not your cup of tea, she also mentions she feels there are probably plenty of other TV programs out there that are.

Having screened Batwoman at San Diego Comic-Con earlier this year, I already know Kate Kane and Sophie’s previous relationship is at the forefront of the pilot at least. In fact, Sophie is the reason that Kate Kane returns to a Batman-less Gotham, after a series of events draws her home and into the crimefighting fold. The character will look a little different than what we saw with her arrow-verse introduction, as well. So, if you weren't as keen on that, I'd still give this one a shot.

Without spoiling too much, Kate Kane’s romance is at the forefront of the episode due to the nature of the plot; however, it’s not really a key focal point or made to be a big deal in the same way people outside of the series have been talking about her identity for months and months.

Related: Will Batman Ever Show Up On Batwoman? The Producers Talk Caped Crusader

We’ve seen a little bit of this in the first trailer for the upcoming series, which looks a bit at Kate's return home and the events that lead to her heading into Bruce Wayne's home and finding out about the Batcave. If you haven't seen it yet, take a look.

In fact, Ruby Rose’s upcoming character will be the first lesbian superhero to headline a TV series, although it should be noted the CW has made inclusion a priority with many of its other arrow-verse shows over the past several years, including bisexual character Sara Lance, who was in both Arrow and its spinoff Legends of Tomorrow. Still, despite this being notable news, Ruby Rose seems to want to make it clear that Kate Kane's story is not her story and is not her point of view. She also noted that Kate Kane is going through a lot of what she went through at a more tender age, revealing,

Typically, CW shows in general skew younger, so perhaps this was by design. Or perhaps Rose is right that the fictional Gotham is simply a different beast with a different set of problems than the world she grew up in.  Either way, as noted prior, Ruby Rose really does feel as if there is something in Batwoman for everyone.

All in all, with Arrow ending after this season, we’ll have to wait and see if Batwoman finds its way into the hearts of arrow-verse fans and acts as an adequate replacement. We’ll know how the ratings fare soon enough. Batwoman will hit the TV schedule on October 6, 2019, around the same time the rest of the shows in DC's CW superhero universe make big and splashy returns. Fans will also have the major crossover "Crisis on Infinite Earths" to look forward to, which will finally bring the Black Lightning family into the fold. To see what else is heading to TV this fall, take a look at CinemaBlend's full schedule.

John Wick is still thinkin' he's back. Keanu Reeves landed himself another iconic role in another major action franchise, and he'll soon return for his third round in John Wick: Chapter 3, aka John Wick 3: Parabellum. However you slice it, it sounds rough for John Wick. The not-so-retired hitman has proven himself up to almost any challenge, but this is a big one.

John Wick: Chapter 3 is bringing back several stars from the first two films, and adding a few more. So, now seems like a good time to review what we know so far about the 2019 film. Up first? Taking a look at the amazing trailer!

What Have We Seen From John Wick: Chapter 3?

After months of waiting, we finally got the first trailer for the third installment of this assassin-based franchise, and, well, it looks as badass, tense and stylish as we were hoping it would. It starts with John and his dog running through the rain, trying to get out of New York before the grace period on the bounty for his life begins, then takes us quickly through some of the things he'll have to face, presumably in escaping the city. He does make it out alive, to meet up with Halle Berry's Sofia in some far flung locale. But, this being the type of film where your troubles literally follow until you're dead, that doesn't appear to be the end of the chase. We'll have to wait until the film debuts to see how John manages to get out of this one.

What Does The Title John Wick 3: Parabellum Mean?

When Keanu Reeves was asked by ComingSoon.net if the title was Chapter 3 or Parabellum, the star replied that it was both: John Wick 3: Parabellum. Reeves continued, explaining that "Parabellum" means "Prepare for war. It's part of that famous sentence, 'Si vis pacem, para bellum,' which translates as, 'If you want peace, prepare for war.'" Parabellum also refers to a type of firearm, so both uses of the word seem perfect for this movie. There was some conflicting information on the "real" title, though. The official social media accounts had it labeled only as John Wick: Chapter 3 for a while, but it seems that Reeves' excellent Parabellum answer may have helped turned the tide for the official title.

What Is The John Wick: Chapter 3 Release Date?

John Wick: Chapter 3 is currently scheduled for release in theaters on May 17, 2019, meaning we're only a few days away from it hitting theaters. The first John Wick film opened in the U.S. on October 24, 2014, making $88 million worldwide. John Wick: Chapter 2 opened on February 10, 2017, making $171.5 million worldwide.

John Wick: Chapter 3 definitely has the potential to be the biggest film of the franchise, but it is opening in a hugely competitive month. Early May 2019 has belonged to Avengers: Endgame, which came out on April 26 and dominated the box office like a champ. Detective Pikachu made an impressive run at second place when it debuted on May 10, so John Wick 3 will be going up against both of those when it releases. Aladdin is opening the week after, on May 24, and the month currently ends with Godzilla: King of the Monsters, among other titles. It's going to be very interesting to see how this shakes out. It's a safe bet that Endgame will own the month, but who else will survive?

What Is John Wick: Chapter 3's Rating?

John Wick 3 is going to be Rated R, just like the first two films. While it took a while for the movie to get an official rating from the MPAA, there was no need to wait. This is not Disney, it's not even Marvel or DC. It's John Wick, and the amount of violence alone would get an R. The franchise has also included enough language to make Captain America blush, and even some brief drug use and nudity. And, since John Wick: Chapter 3 is meant to have the highest death count of the franchise to date, there was never really a chance the rating would be less graphic than the previous films' R rating.

What Is The Plot Of John Wick: Chapter 3?

John Wick: Chapter 2 ended with John being declared "excommunicado" from The Continental hotel -- neutral territory for New York City's underworld -- for breaking the central rule of taking a life on Continental grounds. Continental manager Winston (Ian McShane) gave John a one-hour head start, but he's now on the run -- hunted by just about everyone, and cut off from other members, with a $14 million global contract out on his life. In Chapter 3, John Wick uses the service industry to stay alive as he fights his way out of New York City.

Chad Stahelski returns as director after co-directing the first film and taking solo credit for the second film. He told EW Chapter 3 is "a little bit of an origin story," with John Wick connecting with some people from his past (see new characters below for more on that). In September 2017, Stahelski told Collider his vision for the third movie was based on going deeper into the world instead of just making it bigger.

John Wick - Keanu Reeves

We first met retired hitman John Wick when his wife Helen died from a terminal illness, and he was given an adorable beagle puppy named Daisy to help with his grief. When he refused to sell his vintage 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 to Russian gangsters, they stole the car and killed sweet Daisy. Hence, John Wick's revenge.

John got a new pit bull puppy at the end of that film, and returned in Chapter 2 to make good on his unbreakable "Marker" promise to Italian crime lord Santino D'Antonio. Santino asked John to kill his sister Gianna, so Santino could take her place on the High Table council of crime lords. Because of the Marker, John was not allowed to refuse. But then Santino double-crossed John and opened a $7 million contract for John's death, pretending it was out of revenge for his sister's murder. John killed Santino in the Continental lounge, breaking the key Continental rule of no blood shed on hotel grounds, thereby launching the $14 million contract of Chapter 3.

By the time Chapter 3 rolls around, Keanu Reeves will have played John Wick across five years. The now 54-year-old actor does not seem to be slowing down, and one of the first official photos showed him riding a horse through the dark New York City streets while escaping assassins.

Sofia - Halle Berry

Oscar winner Halle Berry (Monster's Ball) has been cast as new character Sofia. She's described as an assassin, and the first official photo of her (above) shows her mid-badass walk, surrounded by two dogs of her own. About Sofia, Keanu Reeves told ComingSoon.net:

Keanu Reeves added to EW that his John Wick ends up going to find Sofia to see if she can help him. A photo toward the top of this post shows John and Sofia together in the desert, with her dogs. Sofia has two Belgian Malinois dogs, and the dogs are symbolic of someone she's lost. Apparently, the dogs are her assistants and "work very well tactically," director Chad Stahelski added to EW.

Halle Berry filmed several scenes in Morocco and documented them on social media. She clearly had a great time making the film, and showed off some of her stunt moves. She has plenty of action film experience from playing Storm in the X-Men movies, plus as Jinx in the Bond movie Die Another Day, but still managed to injure herself while prepping for the movie. She also recently joined the Kingsman franchise in Kingsman: The Golden Circle, and we can't wait to see what she brings to the franchise.

Winston - Ian McShane

Deadwood star Ian McShane plays Winston, owner and manager of the Continental Hotel in New York, which caters to the criminal underworld. He has been in all three movies so far. The second movie ended with Winston sending for John to tell him he was excommunicado for killing on Continental grounds -- and also let him know the High Table doubled the contract out on him from $7 million to $14 million. But Winston is as close to an ally as John has; he gave John a one-hour head start and also gave him a Marker for future use. One of the first John Wick 3 photos showed Winston with The Bowery King (see below), pairing those heavyweights together.

The Bowery King - Laurence Fishburne

Laurence Fishburne reunited with his The Matrix trilogy co-star Keanu Reeves in the second John Wick movie. Fishburne plays NYC underground crime lord The Bowery King, who helped the injured John Wick when he was desperate. We know The Bowery King will return in the third movie -- and also connect with Winston. This will be the first time we see the characters together, although they must've already met in this shared universe. Both The Bowery King and (especially) Winston have the potential to be allies of John's, although they are first and foremost pragmatists. There's only so far The Bowery King would be willing to stick his neck out, since he only helped John in Chapter 2 out of their shared interest against Santino.

Charon - Lance Reddick

The Wire and Lost alum Lance Reddick plays Charon, another character to appear in all three John Wick films so far. Charon is the enigmatic concierge at Winston's Continental Hotel, serving the New York criminal underworld. There's no word right now if he'll end up somehow helping John out in this film, but Reddick should be fun to watch either way.

Ares - Ruby Rose

Orange Is the New Black star -- and new Batwoman -- Ruby Rose joined the John Wick team in Chapter 2 as mute assassin Ares. She worked as Santino's personal security, and fought John Wick in a knife fight. He beat her, but apparently didn't kill her, since she signed that she'd be seeing him. Santino is now dead, and Ares should be one of the many assassins out to kill John Wick and collect that money.

The Director - Anjelica Huston

Anjelica Huston is no stranger to movies about hitmen -- she won an Oscar for Prizzi's Honor -- but she's a newcomer to the John Wick family. In Chapter 3, she plays a member of the High Table called The Director. Director Chad Stahelski teased to EW that she's "someone who was responsible for [Wick's] upbringing and his protection, in keeping with the previous plot tease that this will be something of an origin story. We see in the new trailer that John gets a chance to confer with The Director at some point, so maybe she'll be willing to help him out.

The Adjudicator - Asia Kate Dillon

Billions and Orange Is the New Black star Asia Kate Dillon also plays a new member of the High Table. By definition, an adjudicator judges or arbitrates a formal dispute. It sounds like The Adjudicator must have had a role in doubling and globalizing the contract put out on John Wick at the end of the second film. Other than that, it's not clear what The Adjudicator will do in Chapter 3. Maybe appeal John's judgment? Santino had used a Marker to get John to kill his sister, then put a contract out for John in seeming revenge for doing just that. Would the High Table amend its verdict on John Wick if they knew more of the context, or would that not matter?

The Administrator - Robin Lord Taylor

Gotham's Robin Lord Taylor has a small role in John Wick: Chapter 3 as The Administrator. He may be connected to The High Table, as with other similarly described characters. Taylor told /FILM he filmed just one day on John Wick 3, on the first day of principal photography. He plays "definitely an important person in that world." He's known for playing The Penguin but said he took this John Wick 3 character "in a physical dimension that was different for me so I’m very excited for people to see it." He added that "It’s very iconic;" whatever that means.

Zero - Mark Dacascos

Actor, martial artist, and former Dancing With the Stars celeb Mark Dacascos plays an assassin named Zero. At this point, that's all we know about the Cradle 2 the Grave and Maximum Impact star's character. But Zero is reportedly one of the main assassins in the film.

Tick Tock Man - Jason Mantzoukas

Jason Mantzoukas is best known for comedies -- including roles on Parks and Recreation, The Good Place, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. This time, he's playing an assassin named Tick Tock Man. As usual, that's all we know. But based on Mantzoukas' strengths, it would be surprising if he wasn't given some kind of a comedic angle.

What Other New Actors Are Joining John Wick: Chapter 3?

Three Kings and Wonder Woman star Said Taghmaoui confirmed his involvement on social media, sharing photos with Keanu Reeves and the desert in Morocco, where Halle Berry was also filming. We don't know anything about his character, though. Lost and The Wolverine actor Hiroyuki Sanada was reported early on as playing the main villain, but then conflicting reports disputed that main role.

Since this movie is going to be jam-packed with global assassins trying to take down John Wick for that $14M payday, it's no surprise to hear many assassin actors have been cast -- including Yayan Ruhian, Cecep Arif Rahman, Tiger Hu Chen, Boban Marjanovic, and (reportedly) Vladimir and Vlado Mihailov, Danish Bhatt, and Candace M. Smith. Sadly, one assassin character who won't return is Common's Cassian; he was expected to return after Chapter 2, but the actor revealed he won't be involved.

Will John Wick: Chapter 3 Be The Last Film?

Will there be a John Wick 4? Director Chad Stahelski told EW he would happily make a fourth John Wick film if the audience enjoys John Wick 3 and wants more. It would probably depend, in part, on how John Wick: Chapter 3 ends. If John Wick lives, it sounds like Keanu Reeves is more than willing to return to the role and keep this up. Also, obviously, box office receipts may come into play. But, even if Reeves' John Wick rides off into the sunset with his dog -- or that horse -- there's still the TV series in the works.

In January 2018, Starz ordered a series called The Continental, set in the criminal hotel safe haven. In this case, though, EW reports the series is meant to be set in Los Angeles, instead of New York. Keanu Reeves is said to have agreed to reprise his role for a cameo. Writer-producer Chris Collins was set to write the series and serve as showrunner, with Chad Stahelski directing the pilot. As of November 2018, we have no premiere date, but stay tuned.

We just have a few days now until John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum hits theaters, so be sure to keep your eyes on this guide for any major updates!

Plans for The CW’s Batwoman series are heating up! The potential show just cast three more major roles for its pilot, to join Ruby Rose as Kate Kane/Batwoman. If you are a fan of supernatural, superhero, and suspense series, the new cast members are familiar faces. Let’s get to the first casting!

Teen Wolf’s Meagan Tandy has been cast in the pivotal role of Sophie Moore, per Deadline. Sophie is a military academy graduate, who is now a high-level private security agent. That's a spot she earned after rising through the ranks.

She is also one of Gotham’s most ardent protectors. Sophie is described as having "bite" and a "regimented outlook." Proving there are always two sides to a person, Sophie has a softer one, which is brought to life by the return of Kate Kane.

Fans of Teen Wolf will recall Meagan Tandy for her performance as the memorable mercenary Braeden. She starred in multiple seasons of the werewolf drama. As pictured above, Tandy also starred in the second season of the Lifetime drama UnReal.

Next up is the casting of Luke Cage’s Camrus Johnson. He joins the Batwoman pilot in the role of Luke Fox. Luke is the son of Wayne’s Research and Development director Lucius Fox. (Morgan Freeman played Lucius Fox in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy.)

Lucius Fox's son Luke has taken on the role as the "guardian of all things Batman," with specific attention paid to Batman’s symbol. At the same time, Luke recognizes the need for his city to have a new hero. Could the Batwoman pilot see Luke become Batwing? That line seems to open the door to the possibility.

Fans of Netflix’s Luke Cage will remember Camrus Johnson for his recurring role on the series. He played Torre. He also stars in Hulu’s There’s…Johnny, as pictured above.

The third and final role cast is YOU’s Nicole Kang as Kate Kane’s step-sister, Mary Hamilton. In the report, Mary is said to be "excitable" and "talkative." The bubbly-sounding character is also an "influencer-in-the-making," something that hints Mary may be a social media maven.

Mary is also described as being the total opposite of Kate. What they do have in common is "compassion for Gotham’s underserved communities." All of which sounds like the groundwork for a connection Mary can build on with Kate, a.k.a. Batwoman.

As for Nicole Kang, viewers of Netflix’s smash hit YOU will recognize Kang for her role as Lynn, pictured above. She recurred throughout Season 1 as one of Beck’s closest friends.

Fans did not have to wait for a Batwoman solo series to get their first glimpse at Ruby Rose’s Kate Kane. The character made her Arrow-verse debut in the TV franchise’s crossover event entitled “Elseworlds.” This casting news will undoubtedly excite fans anxious for the latest update on the pilot.

Having cast three more pivotal roles, the Batwoman pilot is coming together. For now, fans must wait for word on whether the pilot will get picked up to series. Some fans have been left disappointed in the past, with others receiving positive news. Since The CW has already given Batwoman a high-profile debut, all signs seem hopeful.

If Batwoman gets picked up, it will premiere on The CW. The Arrow-verse will be going strong throughout the midseason with new episodes.

The CW's Arrow-verse features more female badasses than any other superhero franchise sector, and more are on the way. The "Elseworlds" crossover has the privilege of introducing TV's first live-action Batwoman. Everyone appeared to love having Ruby Rose's vigilante around, and Supergirl star Melissa Benoist was particularly fond of Kara spending time with the Gotham City heroine. In Benoist's words:

Their scenes are really nice because of their similarities. Kate Kane is Bruce Wayne's cousin and all these things, so they really relate on a lot of levels that I don't think Kara's found yet in another female superhero. There's a really deep understanding from the get-go between the two of them.

Over on Supergirl, Kara is the only character whose cousin happens to be the strongest man in the world. (That distinction actually holds across most shows beyond Supergirl, too.) During a recent visit to the Supergirl set in Vancouver, Melissa Benoist explained to CinemaBlend and other press that having a heroic family member is at least one element that ostensibly adds connective tissue to Kara and Kate's burgeoning friendship.

On a broad scale, Kara doesn't have that much in common with her National City friends and family. The whole "keeping something a secret from everyone else" element is certainly shared by many characters, certainly. But few protagonists' secrets are quite as heavy as Kara's, so it will presumably be comforting for her to have another female hero around whose family tree is extremely noteworthy and kept swept under the rug.

We've still no idea how that connection may or may not play into what actually happens during the "Elseworlds" crossover. We know that in the first part for The Flash, Barry and Oliver will seek out Kara's help in thwarting John Deegan's identity-swapping schemes, and that the second part will take the heroes to Gotham City for the first time. Will Kara get to share in Batwoman's very first scene? That would be pretty snazzy.

Speaking of comic-friendly connections, this season also showcases the continued relationship between Kara and Lena Luthor, whose brother Lex is finally going to enter the picture this season. (I cannot wait to see Jon Cryer in the role.) Similar to how Batwoman's connection to Batman is what Kara hooks into with Kate, Melissa Benoist said that mirroring Lex Luthor and Clark Kent's connection is part of what she enjoys about Kara's arc with Lena.

I think what's so fun about exploring a Luthor and a 'Super' relationship is the slow burn of it. I love that we're telling in the way that Lex Luthor and Clark Kent were friends before they were enemies. I love that we're telling that story, too. I would expect that it will be a really slow burn: that realization, reveal.

With a Manchester Black storyline that isn't afraid to take on uncomfortable politics, Supergirl has also been building up Kara's relationship with Nicole Maines' future-hero Nia "Dreamer" Nal.(Brainy even teased the latter's distant future relative Nura Nall, in another nod to important family members.) But as we head into the three-part crossover, our minds are centered solely on how Batwoman is going to shake things up, in Kara's life and beyond.

Supergirl, which set up "Elseworlds" with John Wesley Shipp's return, will be back for its crossover entry on The CW on Tuesday, December 11, at 8:00 p.m. ET. To see what else is coming to the small screen soon, head to our fall TV schedule and our midseason premiere guide.

A lot of excitement and hype surrounds Ruby Rose's upcoming debut as Batwoman in the latest CW crossover, "Elseworlds." Still, this new image of Rose's Batwoman and Melissa Benoist's Supergirl is no big deal, right? We're totally not freaking out over here and not getting pumped over this picture Benoist posted of her and Rose in full costume from the "Elseworlds" set, and neither are the thousands of fans sharing the pic all over social media.

Okay, so maybe I cracked a smile just as big as the one Melissa Benoist is rocking in the photo, because how can anyone not? Everybody should be in an elseworld of happiness, as this photo of the two heroes cheesin' it up is yet another fantastic look at the batty costume Ruby Rose will wear in the three-show crossover. Needless to say, the costume looks great, which is part of why Benoist can't hold back smiles whilst standing next to her co-star.

Benoist's photo was met with lots of love on Instagram, with her fans largely approving of the pic. That's obviously a good thing, considering Ruby Rose temporarily left social media months ago, with many believing her reasoning was tied to the bullying and criticism she faced following her casting as Batwoman. Negativity was relatively absent in the comment section of Melissa Benoist's post, which could mean even skeptics are coming around to Batwoman's upcoming portrayal.

This is the second look fans have gotten at the Arrow-verse' Batwoman costume, with the first official release coming earlier this month. The suit looks just as awesome in the latest peek, offering more up-close details. Unfortunately, we can't see any more of Batwoman's sweet cape, as it's either been removed from the costume or is just hidden behind Ruby Rose somewhere.

Melissa Benoist's photo is just the latest picture from the set of the "Elseworlds" crossover. While there clearly hasn't been a ton of Batwoman marketing, Arrow-verse fans have been treated to teases that show Stephen Amell dressed as The Flash, Grant Gustin as the Green Arrow, and other super surprises. Benoist posing with Rose may mean more pictures of Batwoman are coming. At least, that's we're hoping, so we can remain totally chill and not freak out after seeing them.

We'll see in the coming weeks as hopefully more pictures from the "Elseworlds" set surface before its highly anticipated premiere on The CW on Sunday, December 9. The event, which Legends of Tomorrow is bowing out of, will kick off with The Flash on a special night, with Supergirl and Arrow to follow. For a look at all fall television coming between now and then, be sure to visit and bookmark our handy fall premiere guide.

As bizarrely entertaining as it was to watch the various Arrow-verse characters take on evil Nazi versions of themselves in last year's "Crisis on Earth-X" mega-crossover, this year's multi-show even sounds even more fantastic. For this will be viewers' introduction not only to The CW's Gotham City, but also to Ruby Rose's Batwoman. You can get your first full look at her below, and I think most will agree this is the Arrow-verse's best supersuit yet.

Everything about this image looks right in line with everything I was hoping to see from Batwoman's first foray into modern live-action TV. Granted, a mostly black costume like this is automatically going to look slick, which is what helps make Batman looks smoother than all the other superheroes out there. (Hot bat-take.) But it's easy to forget Bruce Wayne's name after getting a look at Kate Kane in all her Batwoman glory. Get this woman her own TV show!

It's easy to tell that the various producers and execs among the different shows wanted to bring Batwoman as close to her comic book looks as possible, and they've succeeded in (two) flying colors. Her hair looks great. The cowl looks great. The big bat emblem on the chest looks great. The belt looks great. And I can already say that I'm going to be kinda pissy if DC doesn't start selling those Batwoman capes in stories.

Unfortunately, Batwoman's trek to The CW hasn't been the most uneventful one, as some fans backlashed against Kate Kane for being a lesbian (even though she's also a lesbian in the comics), allegedly causing Ruby Rose to hop off of social media for a while. Here's hoping this first look at the character's banging costume will squash anyone's gripes.

Things will look a little different for this year's big Arrow-verse crossover, and I'm not only talking about getting to visit Gotham City for the first time. (But boy, am I excited about that.) This will be the first year since its debut that Legends of Tomorrow won't factor into the team-up adventure. Mostly it's because there are so many actors and characters on Legends that it makes it hard to schedule everything. But I think part of it is also Ray Palmer would end up meeting up with Lucius Fox and spending the entire crossover talking shop.

All the Arrow-verse shows will be debuting this week, starting with The Flash on Tuesday, October 9, at 8:00 p.m. But you'll be able to see Batwoman making her debut when the crossover event starts up on The CW on Sunday, December 9. To see what other shows are popping up on the small screen soon, head to our fall TV premiere schedule.

Being cast in a major pop culture has its disadvantages. There will be supporters who think that an actor or actress is perfect for the role that they just landed. And then, there's the immediate backlash that comes from armchair quarterbacks who envision someone totally different, and start to pick apart any actor lucky enough to land a part, ridiculous as that may seem. The most recent example of this is The Meg co-star Ruby Rose, who faced near-immediate backlash from vocal fans on social media following her casting as Batwoman on The CW's planned Arrow-verse crossover event. And as a result, Rose just left social media, turning off her Twitter account and limiting her Instagram account to approved followers.

Now, we don't know for certain that the Batwoman backlash caused Ruby Rose to leave Twitter. But the last few messages that she Tweeted, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter, suggest that the fan backlash is what prompted the social media exit. Rose wrote:

Ruby Rose is set to become the first LGBTQ lead in a live-action superhero television program, playing Kate Kane on The CW in a crossover event that will mix episodes from shows by Arrow, The Flash and Supergirl. It's believed that The Cw will want to develop a Batwoman program around Rose if audiences respond in kind to her take on the DC character. In the newer version of Kate Kane, introduced in 2006, the character is a lesbian. Which is why Rose seems confused that some fans believe she isn't "lesbian enough" to play Batwoman on a television program.

The timing of Ruby Rose's Twitter exit could be coincidental. But it's looking more likely that the Orange if the New Black star joins Star Wars: The Last Jedi's Kelly Marie Tran and Millie Bobby Brown of Stranger Things as actors forced to leave social media because they didn't want to deal with a steady stream of criticism from a vocal fanbase.

The quintessential summer movie arrives this week in the form of the 70-foot shark-led The Meg. The action/horror film from director Jon Turteltaub, explores the fantastical danger the prehistoric Megalodon could pose in the modern ocean. The Megalodon is likely difficult to train and has been extinct for millions of years so naturally the shark is created with CGI in the film. However, although the shark wasn't real so there wasn't any danger of being eaten, there were some real scares while filming The Meg. Actress Ruby Rose, who plays the character Jaxx, nearly drowned on the set of the film while filming a scene in the water, as she explained:

Well, that is fairly terrifying. There is little worse than feeling helpless or unable to breathe. At first, they must have thought that she was simply struggling as part of her performance and was doing a great job at it, before realizing that she was in real trouble. Fortunately, the production naturally had safety divers on standby for just such an occasion that were able to rescue Ruby Rose and pull her to safety. As she told SciFiNow (via Daily Mail), the weight of her layers of clothes and waterlogged shoes became too much and was pulling her down in the water tank she was shooting in. As anyone who's ever swam in clothes or taken drownproofing in school can tell you, swimming in clothes is not a pleasant or easy.

Ruby Rose isn't even the only actress on The Meg to have had a frightening experience in the water. Her co-star Li Bingbing also felt like she was going to drown while filming a sequence where she had to hold her breath in a shark cage. These examples just highlight the very real dangers that shooting in water pose. There are a lot of safeguards in place to prevent problems and avert disaster, and thankfully they worked here. But even in a responsible production like this, filming scenes in water or under it can be genuinely scary. You might know that you are in a controlled environment and that there are safety measures, but I imagine that your survival instincts involuntarily kick in anyways. Because although your brain knows you'll be okay, your body doesn't. These difficulties and dangers make movies that do a lot of shooting in the water, like The Meg or whatever James Cameron is doing in Avatar 2, all the more impressive.

After her role in The Meg, Ruby Rose has been cast as Batwoman for The CW's Arrow-verse crossover event, with the possibility of a Batwoman series coming to the network. The Meg splashes into theaters this Friday, August 10. For all of the biggest movies hitting theaters this year, check out our release schedule.

The Arrow-verse on The CW is getting batty in the 2018-2019 TV season thanks to the upcoming introduction of Kate Kane, a.k.a. Batwoman. We've known that Batwoman is on the way for a while, but there was no news for about who would bring her to life for the first time in live action. Now, we finally know: Ruby Rose of Orange Is the New Black fame will tackle the role as the openly lesbian vigilante.

Ruby Rose will play Kate Kane in the character's first venture into live-action. As Batwoman, Kate Kane fights crime on the streets of Gotham City, likely without the help of Batman. A Batwoman series is in development to potentially hit the airwaves, but Rose will debut as Batwoman in the big Arrow-verse crossover that will bring three of the four Arrow-verse shows together for one big event in the fall. If Batwoman makes a big impression on viewers (and The CW) in the crossover, the odds aren't too shabby that she'll get her own show. Admittedly, The CW's lineup (now with one extra day of new programming) is pretty full. Still, the network has reason to prioritize its superheroes given the success the Arrow-verse has delivered since Arrow premiered back in 2012.

You may know Ruby Rose from her role as Stella Carlin in the third season of Orange Is the New Black on Netflix. If you're not a regular Orange Is the New Black viewer, you may recognize her from her work in movies like Pitch Perfect 3, XXX: The Return of Xander Cage, and John Wick: Chapter 2. Rose has the acting and action chops to make a killer impression as Batwoman. Her work in John Wick: Chapter 2 alone is proof that she can more than tackle whatever fight scenes come her way when she faces off against the worst Gotham has to offer in the Arrow-verse. EW's report of the casting is enough to get any superhero fan excited.

If Ruby Rose does end up headlining her own CW superhero series, the crossover will mark the second time that a superhero team-up launched a spinoff, after Arrow and The Flash kicked off Legends of Tomorrow back in 2015. Interestingly, the 2018-2019 crossover will be the first in the Arrow-verse to entirely leave out one of the shows on Earth-1. Legends of Tomorrow will be left out of the crossover, with only Arrow, The Flash, and Supergirl contributing episodes. That's not to say that none of the Legends will be on hand -- and I know I want to witness Sara meeting Kate -- but the crossover will be a three-hour affair this year rather than another four-hour event like last year. Hopefully we can also see the women of Supergirl show their reactions to Batwoman.

We already have a theory about how the Arrow-verse should introduce Batwoman, and it has everything to do with a tease dropped by Arrow leading man Stephen Amell at San Diego Comic-Con. Check out our rundown of upcoming Arrow-verse characters to see who will be coming to the shows for the first time in the fall, and don't forget to swing by our fall premiere schedule.

Nobody expected John Wick to become such a phenomenon when it landed on the scene in the fall of 2014. A small-scale revenge thriller, the Keanu Reeve fronted action movie made a serious impression on audiences with its relatively simple story, its immaculately crafted action sequences, and (most of all) its utter dedication to creating an authentic, lived-in world of killers, thugs, and bad guys. Despite the fact that it was produced on a shoestring budget of roughly $20 million, John Wick became a bona fide R-rated hit by grossing $86 million worldwide. Beyond that, the film also performed incredibly well with critics, garnering an 85% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes -- no easy feat for an R-rated action movie.

With that combined commercial and critical acclaim, it only made sense that a sequel quickly entered development. The John Wick sequel -- appropriately titled John Wick: Chapter 2 -- will hit theaters in 2017, and it's quickly become one of the most highly anticipated action movies of the coming year. We cannot even begin to express our excitement for John Wick 2, and as such we have taken it upon ourselves to compile all of the information we can regarding its upcoming release. Now let's get started with one of the most basic, and yet most important, elements of the upcoming John Wick sequel: the story...

What Is The John Wick 2 Story?

The original John Wick deserves quite a bit of credit. The filmmakers really tied up the story so neatly that none of us can really figure out where a sequel could possibly go. Mr. Wick got everything he needed out of the events of the original film; the men who killed his beloved beagle were punished, and he managed to walk (read: limp) into the night with a new canine companion to take care of. Now it seems that the sequel will take the basic DNA of the original, and send it in a very new direction. The overarching narrative of John Wick 2 will see the titular killer once again come out of retirement due to a blood oath he owes a former associate. This commitment will see him travel away from his home in New York to Europe in order to face off against a group of ruthless killers intent on taking over the underground assassin's guild. You know that this means: more carnage.

With that in mind, it sounds like the next John Wick will draw from John Wick's past for its conflict, and that means we will get far more insight into the mind of the character himself. Keanu Reeves recently revealed that the film would deal with the duality of Wick. There's "John," the docile man who spent five years married to the love of his life. Then there's "John Wick," the deadly assassin feared by the entire criminal underworld. Something from John's past will come back to haunt him in John Wick: Chapter 2, and the John Wick side of his personality steps in to fight for his survival.

When Is The John Wick 2 Release Date?

Although the original John Wick was a fall release (hitting theaters on October 24, 2014), it seems that John Wick: Chapter 2 will switch things up a bit and opt to hit theaters in late winter. According to Box Office Mojo, John Wick: Chapter 2 will hit theaters on February 10, 2017. Just in time for Valentine's Day, obviously.

In previous years, releasing a major R-rated action movie like John Wick: Chapter 2 in the middle of February would've seemed like a generally odd endeavor for a studio. However, the recent success of Deadpool showed us that audiences will turn out in droves for a solid action blockbuster during the shortest month of the year if it's worth it. We're not saying that John Wick 2 will rival the success of Deadpool, but anticipation for it is very, very high.

Who Is The Director Of John Wick 2?

If it isn't broken, then don't fix it. Behind the scenes everything worked perfectly on the first John Wick, and it seems that nobody has any intention of changing horses midstream. Keeping that in mind, Chad Stahelski will once again return behind the camera to helm the next installment in John Wick's story. Additionally, his uncredited co-director from the original John Wick, David Leitch, has also opted to stay onboard as a producer for the upcoming sequel. Considering the quality of the action as well as the performances, in the original John Wick, the decision to bring these two back should instill quite a bit of confidence in audiences.

In addition to Chad Stahelski's return as franchise director, John Wick: Chapter 2 has also brought screenwriter Derek Kolstad back to pen the film's script. With so many familiar elements returning to the fray, we have a feeling that Chapter 2 will truly feel like a proper sequel.

Where Does John Wick 2 Take Place?

The upcoming John Wick sequel will provide plenty of familiar environments, but it will also introduce a new world within the established one. We already know that Winston's Continental Hotel will return as a central location for the film's narrative, which means that all of the rules and customs established in the first movie will return as well. This definitely comes as a relief, because the gritty, urban New York setting of the original John Wick certainly added a great deal of authenticity to the proceedings.

However, as previously stated, John Wick: Chapter 2 will eventually switch things up and take the action overseas as well. In addition to the New York shooting locations, we have learned that the John Wick sequel has also shot scenes in Rome, Italy. The exact nature of these scenes (as well as their overall impact on the plot) remains a mystery, but we have a feeling that the Rome location will come with its own new set of rules and customs that John will have to abide -- or face the consequences.

Keanu Reeves - John Wick

The man himself. Of course Keanu Reeves will return for John Wick: Chapter 2. You cannot have John Wick without John Wick. Despite the fact that John tried to find peace again at the end of the original film, it appears that something will occur in his life that will once again draw him back into the underground world of criminals, assassins, and general low-life scum. If he's coming back, expect plenty of mayhem and bloodshed to follow.

As previously stated, it appears that John Wick: Chapter 2 will delve much deeper into the duality of the series' titular gun-toting hero. John Wick is very clearly a man more at odds with himself than we even realize. The "John" portion of his personality longs for a peaceful existence, but the"John Wick" aspect of his mind has an innate knack for killing, and it's difficult for him to completely suppress that bloodlust. We saw hints of that underlying rage during the events of the original film, and it looks as though we will get a much more thorough understanding of what makes this assassin tick in the coming film.

Laurence Fishburne - The Bowler King

That's right, folks. John Wick: Chapter 2 will feature a bona fide Matrix reunion, and we cannot even begin to describe how excited we are for it. Laurence Fishburne will take on the role of The Bowler King in the upcoming John Wick sequel. It's unclear whether or not he's a friend or a foe to John Wick, but his presence will quite obviously be one of the major reasons that Mr. Wick jumps back into action. Given their previous on-screen interactions, we're willing to bet that they're allies.

One of the most intriguing aspects of Laurence Fishburne's involvement in John Wick: Chapter 2 is the way in which he will reportedly expand the John Wick universe. He has nothing to do with the world we have already been introduced to. During a recent interview, the former Morpheus opened up regarding his involvement in the highly anticipated sequel and explained that The Bowler King comes from a world entirely separated from Winston's Continental Hotel, but still firmly rooted within the John Wick universe. This seems to indicate that the film's world of assassins and criminals runs even deeper than we realized, and possibly even points towards warring factions of killers.

Ian McShane - Winston

If there's one character from the original John Wick that we're excited to see return (aside from Wick himself), it's Ian McShane's Winston. The prim, proper, and generally dapper owner of The Continental Hotel, Winston proved himself quite reliable as one of the few allies that John Wick could really trust during the events of the first movie. Ian McShane completely owns the character, sipping a martini casually while talking with John across the table, or ordering the death of a rule-breaker in his hotel. The Deadwood star does quiet menace better than anyone.

However, knowing that John Wick will leave the confines of The Continental and make his way to Europe has us scratching our heads. Winston seems so inextricable from The Continental itself that we cannot really the gauge the size or scope of his role in John Wick: Chapter 2. Will he survive long enough to see John off? Will he simply wish John well as he travels overseas to kick some ass? Or will he even decide to accompany John Wick on this mission? These are questions we need answered.

John Leguizamo - Aurelio

The moment John Leguizamo first appeared on screen during the events of the original John Wick was the moment we truly realized the depth of the universe we would soon enter. His character, Aurelio, is the owner of a high-end chop shop in New Jersey, and a source of information regarding the ins and outs of the criminal underworld. If he's coming back to the fray, we can likely assume that John Wick will turn to him for inside information concerning the new threat that he's facing, and perhaps a shiny new car.

Common

Another major addition to the cast, Common has continuously proven himself as one of the best musicians turned actors working today. Although very few details regarding the exact nature of his character have been made available to us, we have learned that he will take on the role of a security head for a major female crime lord during the events of John Wick: Chapter 2. With that in mind, we can reasonably assume that he will pose a serious physical threat to the titular hero, while an even worse big bad continues to loom in the shadows.

This casting shouldn't come as a major shock to anyone that has become familiar with Common's body of work in recent years. His turn as "Price" in the wholly underrated 2015 Liam Neeson thriller, Run All Night, proved that the rapper has what it takes to pull off the role of a cold, meticulous assassin. We have nothing but faith in his ability to present a distinct challenge to Mr. Wick throughout the course of the upcoming sequel.

Ruby Rose

Rounding out the principle cast of John Wick: Chapter 2 is none other than Orange is the New Black's Ruby Rose. Out of all the major players in the upcoming John Wick sequel, she's the character we really know the least about. On one hand, her character could provide a potential love interest for the deadly Mr. Wick, if he's ready to finally move on following the passing of his wife -- played by Bridget Moynahan in the original movie, who will once again return for flashback sequences.

On the other hand (and this is a far more likely scenario) Ruby Rose's character could be one of the many deadly criminals that John Wick will face off against during his next rampage. The original John Wick's Ms. Perkins (Adrianne Palicki) already proved that woman can be just as deadly (if not deadlier) than men in this universe, so anything's possible. Ruby Rose will also appear in xXx: The Return of Xander Cage one month and Resident Evil: The Final Chapter before John Wick: Chapter 2 hits theaters, so she seems to be gunning for action hero status in Hollywood.

Welcome back to the Xander Zone, ladies and gentlemen. After over a decade away from his role as extreme athlete turned super spy xXx, Vin Diesel will once again attempt to save the world as Xander Cage. We’ve known for some time that Samuel L. Jackson would be once again entering the fray as NSA handler Augustus Gibbons for xXx: The Return of Xander Cage, which made sense considering he’s been in more xXx films that Xander Cage himself. However, few other details have been released regarding the rest of the film’s cast – until now.

THR reports that in addition to the returning headliners, xXx 3 has enlisted Nina Dobrev, Deepika Padukone, and Ruby Rose to round out the female side of the cast. Each of these women will portray a character placed in a support team for Diesel’s Cage – because clearly the production team has caught on to the idea that the Fast & Furious formula works. This represents something of a shift for the xXx franchise as a whole, as the series has generally never placed too much emphasis on strong female characters outside of Asia Argento's Yelena from the original film. However, it's worth noting that the original THR article does emphasize the fact that these women are in "various stages of negotiation," meaning these roles could ultimately change. Without further ado, let’s get into it and examine these actresses and their roles in a little more detail.

Nina Dobrev

Nina Dobrev made her first big impressions on audiences with her roles as Mia Jones on Degrassi, as well as Elena Gilbert on The CW’s The Vampire Diaries. In recent years she has begun adding numerous film credits to her name such as The Perks of Being A Wallflower as well as Let’s Be Cops. Her role in the upcoming xXx 3 has been described as that of the team tech genius, which means she will essentially play the same role as Tej (Ludacris) from Diesel’s Fast & Furious movies

Deepika Padukone

Of all the actresses present on this list, chances are you western readers are the least familiar with Padukone. While not exactly a household name in Hollywood, overseas she has become a Bollywood sensation and is seemingly aiming to make the jump to the western box office. She will play a "huntress" who has former romantic connections with Xander Cage, meaning her and Diesel will likely share ample amounts of screen time.

Ruby Rose

A relative newcomer, Ruby Rose is undoubtedly best known for her work on the hit Netflix series Orange is the New Black. Aside from that popular series, she is a prominent lesbian and figure for the LGBT community. Her role in xXx 3 will be that of the team’s sniper; considering the fact that she will also be appearing in Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, as well as John Wick 2, we think it’s safe to assume that she may be finding a comfort zone in the action genre.

We will bring you any and all details related to the release of xXx: The Return of Xander Cage as they become available to us. The film is expected to blast into theaters sometime in 2017

After more than a decade in existence, the Resident Evil franchise is coming to an end. Since back in 2002, we’ve seen the video game series launch five films into theaters, each one finding fans around the world, and compelling them to come back for the next installment. Now Resident Evil: The Final Chapter is ready to get rolling, and in anticipation, the project has announced its full cast.

Deadline has the scoop on the new additions to the final sequel in the Resident Evil series, and it’s a mix of both franchise regulars and new faces. Read on to find out who will be a part of the team trying to save the world and the human race.

This one should be absolutely no shock to anyone who has been following the Resident Evil franchise over the years. While many castmembers have come and gone, Milla Jovovich has stuck around, and is now set to play the heroic Alice for the sixth time. Of course, exactly where the series will leave her at the very end is the big mystery.

It was back in early August that we first heard stories about Ali Larter coming back for another Resident Evil production, and now that the film is getting into production mode that casting has been confirmed. The actress will once again be playing Claire Redfield, who began playing the role in 2007's Resident Evil Extinction, and came back for Resident Evil: Afterlife. She missed out on 2012's Resident Evil: Retribution, but that can be explained by the fact that she was last seen being kidnapped.

Scottish actor Iain Glen is probably best recognized as the eternally lovesick Jorah Mormont on the hit HBO series Game of Thrones, but he will soon be leaving Westeros behind as he ventures into a different world of horrific undead creatures. Sadly, there’s no information currently available about the character that he will be playing in Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, though one can hope that Paul W.S. Anderson sets him up for the opportunity to actually win the girl.

Famous for being a model and DJ/recording artist in her homeland of Australia, Ruby Rose is only starting to gain a following her in the United States, and signing on for Resident Evil: The Final Chapter is a nice step in that direction. Netflix subscribers likely recognize her for her part as the manipulative Stella Carlin from the third season of Orange is the New Black, but sadly we don’t yet know if this big franchise film will give her the chance to play something radically different.

Now we’ve come to yet another face that fans of the long-running video game movie franchise should recognize. Shawn Roberts has been playing a key role in Resident Evil movies going back to 2010’s Resident Evil: Afterlife - where he made his debut as the villainous Albert Wesker. He is best known as the head of the Umbrella Corporation, but he will be going from antagonist to protagonist in Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, having defected from Umbrella and teamed up with Alice to stop the ultimate evil: the artificially intelligent Red Queen.

Hailing from Ireland, actor Eoin Macken hasn’t created much of a film career just yet, but has become a notable name on American television. After starring in a few episodes of The Tudors, he landed the recurring role of Sir Gwaine in the Merlin series. Most recently he has been starring on the NBC medical comedy/drama The Night Shift. Like most of the other new cast members, we sadly don’t know who he will be playing in Resident Evil: The Final Chapter

Finally, we have the Cuban-born William Levy, who has spent the last decade or so carving out a name for himself on Mexican television. That began to change in 2014 when he landed a part in Tyler Perry’s The Single Moms Club, and has since landed a role in the Vince Vaughn crime drama Term Life. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter should be his biggest project to date, though exactly what he will be doing in the movie is a mystery.

Production on the Paul W.S. Anderson written and directed final sequel is set to commence later this month in South Africa, and production will presumably take a couple of months. After all of the I’s are dotted and the T’s are crossed, we’ll be seeing the finished product in theaters January 27, 2017.