Kate Kane will not be killed off during Batwoman’s second series but her disappearance will become one of the show’s major mysteries, its showrunner has confirmed.
The superhero programme’s future was thrown into doubt after Australian actress Ruby Rose, 34, quit the role of Kane, the woman behind the Batwoman mask, in May after a single series.
Rose was cast for the part in 2018, becoming the first openly gay superhero to lead a major TV show.
A note from me on behalf of The Bat Team… pic.twitter.com/V6iXjaCrA5
— Caroline Dries (@carolinedries) June 10, 2020
In a statement on Twitter, showrunner Caroline Dries confirmed Kane would survive and promised Batwoman would not take part in the “bury your gays” TV trope of killing LGBT characters for shock value.
Dries said: “As a lesbian who’s been working as a writer for the past 15 years, I’m well aware of the ‘Bury Your Gays’ trope and I have no interest in participating in it.
“That’s why it’s important to me as the showrunner to clarify any misinformation out there about Kate Kane and recasting Batwoman.
Decisions, decisions. Stream the entire season of #Batwoman now: https://t.co/EyTwax3HDL pic.twitter.com/a9JBNxzDX4
— Batwoman (@CWBatwoman) May 28, 2020
“Like you, I love Kate Kane – she’s the reason I wanted to do the show. We’ll never erase her.
“In fact, her disappearance will be one of the mysteries of season two.
“I don’t want to give away any of our surprises, but to all our devoted fans, please know that LGBTQ+ justice is at the very core of what Batwoman is and we have no intention of abandoning that.”
Following Rose’s departure, TV channel The CW, Warner Bros Television and Berlanti Productions said in a joint statement that they were “firmly committed” to the show.
They also confirmed they would recast the role with another member of the LGBT community.
Batwoman follows Kane on her journey to become Gotham City’s new symbol of hope.
It airs on E4 in the UK.