Batwoman: 10 Questions About Ryan Wilder, Answered | ScreenRant
After Ruby Rose's departure from Batwoman, fans wondered how she would be replaced. Would Kate Kane be recast? Showrunner Caroline Dries opted to go a different route by killing off Kate and introducing Ryan Wilder as the new Batwoman. Season 2 began on January 17 and so far, Gotham's new savior has been impressive.
But who really is Ryan Wilder? Fans already know that she is the second major black superhero in the Arrowverse, the other being Jefferson Pierce aka Black Lightning. There's still plenty of time to explore the character but so far, a couple of interesting details about the new Batwoman have emerged.
10 Who Plays Ryan Wilder?
Wilder is played by 33-year-old German-born American actress Javicia Leslie. She is best known for playing the preacher's daughter Ali Finer for two seasons in the CBS comedy-drama God Friended Me. She has appeared in a total of 19 movies and TV shows so far.
Like the DC character she plays, Leslie is a trained fighter too. She is trained in Muay Thai aka Thai boxing. This form of boxing allows the use of fists, knees, elbows, and shins. Leslie is also vegan as well as bisexual.
9 Is Ryan Wilder In The Comics?
Kate Kane is the most notable Batwoman but several different characters have been donned the suit before. As for Ryan Wilder, she had never existed in the DC comics prior to Javicia Leslie's casting.
Shortly after the announcement that Javicia would be the new Batwoman, Wilder was introduced in the comics too. She made her debut appearance in Batgirl #50. There's no doubt that she'll have many more appearances in the future. As for now, the writers of the show have to keep coming up with new material for her.
8 How Does She Become Batwoman?
Ryan Wilder is hopeless and sleeping in a van when the events that change her life happened. She hears a loud bang and wakes up only to see a plane crashing a few miles away. This is the same plane that was carrying Kate Kane on her way back from National City where she had gone to visit Kara Danvers.
Quickly, Wilder rushes to the site of the crash to see if she can save someone. She manages to resuscitate one person after which she sees a strange outfit. She realizes it's the Batwoman suit. Without hesitation, she takes it and goes on to become a vigilante. As for the suit's complicated features, she learns how to use them on the job. Mary and Luke also help her later on.
7 Who Is Her Archenemy?
Wilder's archenemy is Beth Kane aka Alice. She is the leader of the Wonderland Gang and the twin sister of Kate Kane. But why does Wilder have a problem with Alice?
Flashback scenes in the series explain why. One day, when a young Wilder and her adoptive mom, Cora are moving into an apartment, the Wonderland gang attacks them. They kill both Cora and the landlord. They also beat Wilder up. Wilder tries to do CPR on Cora but she still dies. Later, Alice shows up and orders the gang to leave. It's during this incident that Wilder's hatred for Alice begins.
6 What Are Some Of Her Special Skills?
Wilder is a skilled martial artist. It is revealed that she was even an instructor before she went to prison. Her skills become evident when she goes all Chuck Norris on members of the False Face Society. She also beats Tommy Elliot quite easily during their encounter, making his face fall off in the process.
The new Batwoman is also as fast as she is furious. Despite driving the much faster Batmobile, Tommy Elliot fails to catch Wilder who is driving a van. She even dodges ordinances fired at her van by Elliot. Later, she is allowed to use the Batmobile and uses it to escape the colony of envenomed bats.
5 Does She Know The Previous Batwoman?
Ryan Wilder met the previous Batwoman once. While walking around Gotham one day with a shopping bag, a couple of thugs attempted to mug her. Luckily. Batwoman showed up and saved her.
Wilder also manages to figure out that Kate Kane was the previous Batwoman. When Mary and Luke first see her wearing the suit, they shout "Kate!" Wilder sees an obituary about Kate Kane in the papers a couple of scenes later and puts two and two together. Since she is aware Mary and Luke are associates of the previous Batwoman, she realizes that Kate Kane was indeed her predecessor.
4 Does Ryan Wilder Kill?
In the past, Bruce Wayne and Kate Kane have strictly adhered to the commandment: "Do not kill!" However, Ryan Wilder isn't familiar with this rule. In the first episode, she almost beats Tommy Elliot to death.
In the second episode, Luke doesn't appear too thrilled about Wilder being the new Batwoman. He says it's fine so long as she sticks to the "No-kill Rule." But according to Leslie's interview with Entertainment Weekly, this will be a hard rule for her character to stick to. She explained, "She might just kill as Ryan, instead of as Batwoman, because it is a separate thing."
3 Is She A Member Of The LGBTQ Community Like Kate?
Yes, the new Batwoman is also a lesbian. Flashback scenes reveal that she came out while in high school. Her adoptive mother Cora was supportive of her sexuality though she warned her not to bring different girls over all the time.
Since the first season had done a good job at addressing LGBTQ themes, it was important for this to continue in the future seasons. Thus the decision to replace Kate with another lesbian hero was a no-brainer. Kate had been the first LGBTQ leading character in a superhero TV show.
2 Why Is She Homeless And Jobless?
It soon becomes apparent that Wilder has a hard time finding a job and a house to rent. There's a good reason for this. After the death of Cora, Wilder is framed by the Crows for dealing drugs. She thus serves 18 months in prison.
She is seen explaining to her parole officer that no one is willing to hire her. The officer doesn't believe that she is unable to even find someone willing to hire her as an instructor, given her martial arts skills. Wilder also explains that no landlord wants to rent apartments to a former convict and that's why she sleeps in a van.
1 Are There Any Similarities Between Her And Batman?
Other than the Bat-suit, the only other major similarity between Ryan Wilder and Bruce Wayne is the death of her parents. Both of Wilder's parents died when she was young.
Her mother died during childbirth while her father died due to mysterious circumstances. She also suffered another tragedy, when her adoptive mother became a victim of Gotham's out-of-control insecurity, just like Bruce Wayne's parents. Like Wayne, this gave her the perfect motivation to stop crime.
from ScreenRant - Feed
Join Our Email Newsletter Now!
Join over 1,897 people who get free and fresh content delivered automatically each time we publish.
