Based on the characters from DC, The CW seriesBatwomanis back for Season 2 — now starring Ryan Wilder (Javicia Leslie), a smart and fierce young woman with a difficult past who discovers Kate Kane’s Batsuit and is faced with the opportunity to find her own power and no longer be a victim herself. While Gotham comes to terms with their missing superhero, Luke (Camrus Johnson) and Mary (Nicole Kang) must decide whether to view Ryan as a Batwoman imposter or as someone they can actually help to do some good and become a hero, in her own right.
During this 1-on-1 phone interview with Collider, The CW’s newest superhero talked about her reaction to finding out that she’d get to step into the role of Batwoman, why this role is a dream come true, being the first Black woman to play the role, the shadow of Kate Kane, getting her own Batsuit, doing stunts, whether Ryan will have a romantic life, and which other CW superhero she thinks her Batwoman would get along best with.
Collider: What was your reaction to finding out that you’d be stepping into the role of Batwoman?
JAVICIA LESLIE: It definitely started off with me feeling like, “Oh, my God, are they serious? Did they make the right decision?” And then, it switched to understanding that I was chosen for a reason — and that’s the bigger picture. This actually has nothing to do with me and everything to do what it represents. Right now, with everything going on in society, representation is so important and to be a part of that journey, no matter what happens, is an honor. God knows how grateful I am for it. And so, as time went on with filming, I started to feel more confident because I knew that this was what was necessary for not just me, but for so many little girls and little boys to feel represented by this character.
Before you even got the role, did you have to keep yourself from getting too excited about it, since you didn’t know whether you’d actually get to do it?
LESLIE: Oh, yeah, completely. I played it real cool at the audition, and then I just let it go. It’s a trick that actors have and we understand that we cannot be attached to the roles that we audition for. All we can do is give our best, and then we walk away. At the time, I was auditioning for a lot of different things, and this was just another one. I said, “Oh, man, this is super cool. This is very much my language. I love action. I love superhero shows. I love all of that. I’m going to give it my best.” It’s a blessing that I got chosen.
You’ve talked about how one of your biggest dreams was to become a superhero, but did you have any thoughts, over the years, about what kind of superhero you would wanted to be?
LESLIE: I had my thoughts. I definitely wanted to be an epic female superhero that we’ve known about in the different franchises. More than anything, I wanted to be my version of a superhero. I wanted to be what I brought to the table. I think it’s really important that I wasn’t trying to be someone else. That was a journey that I had to go on. When I first started this, no one taught me how to be a superhero. I didn’t know where to put my hands. I didn’t how to walk. I didn’t know how to talk. The great part about it is that Ryan doesn’t either. So, you watch Ryan’s journey, as well as watching my journey. You may have an idea of what you think a superhero looks like, but it’s a part of the journey to realize that there is no specific way to be. You just have to be the best version of it as you can and that’s going to be enough because that’s what’s going to make you unique.
How does it feel to be the first Black Batwoman, and what’s it like to know that you’ll be the first Batwoman for some of the audience?
LESLIE: It’s so interesting that you say that because, in my lifetime, I’ve seen several different Presidents, but there are certain people, in their lifetime, where the first President they saw was Obama. It changes your perspective of representation, when that’s the first president that you see. And so, for me, it was super important that I represent myself and my people and everything that I represent, in a manner that, if it’s someone’s first time ever seeing Batwoman, it’s something to admire, it’s something to look up to, and it’s something to feel represented by. I’m very honored and very excited to be a part of this change and shift. It makes me feel like this is a part of my purpose. I’ve always said that I wanted my art to be my activism, and it’s doing that, innately and naturally. I’m just honored that I get to be a part of this journey in my lifetime.
What do you also hope that she’ll represent, as a role model for young girls who watch the show?
LESLIE: I want young girls that watch the show to understand that they are enough. The great thing about Ryan is that she doesn’t really change who she is. She finds a way to make this Batwoman her Batwoman. That’s something that I want young people, and not just girls, to really take from this. It’s not about filling someone else’s shoes. It’s not about trying to be something that you’re not. It’s about understanding that everything about you, that makes you unique, is going to be what makes you great.
Did you watch any other portrayals of Batwoman before doing this?
LESLIE: It wasn’t about watching another portrayal of Batwoman. I did watch the first season, so that I could get an understanding of the storyline and the energy. But at the end of the day, Ryan is so unique in her own right, that there was no other portrayal of Batwoman that would have serviced me. The only thing I was able to do that did help service me was watching a lot of Batman. That gave me more of an understanding of the world of Gotham, in general.
How do you feel about the fact that you’re getting to create a new character within the world of this show, that already exists and where nobody really knows for sure what happened to Kate Kane? What’s it like to create your own space in something that’s already there?
LESLIE: It’s exciting! It’s epic! It’s so epic to know that my existence is connected to creating another existence in such an epic franchise. Ryan is now in the comics. She’s in the last issue ofBatgirland it’s so dope that all of this is connected because I didn’t give up. As an actor, I didn’t give up. Even if it weren’t me, maybe it would have been another girl who also would have been representation of an under-represented community, but it is me and it’s really dope that I get to say, in my lifetime, that I contributed to the DC world of Batwoman.
How would you say Kate Kane’s shadow will fall over the season, and how much will that play into the way that Ryan handles herself as Batwoman?
LESLIE: It’s so important to remember that the first Batwoman in the originalBatwomanwas Kate Kane. No one is ever trying to take that from the history of [her]. I also feel like the character of Kate Kane is not a shadow. She leaves a light and that light is something that Ryan is stepping into. Ryan, if anything, was living in the shadows. Coming in under Kate Kane, she’s stepping into a light of responsibility, a light of being a hero, and a light of finding her own.
It’s interesting that she also really has to learn how to keep her anger in check, as well. It’s made clear to her that Batwoman does not kill. Will that be hard for her?
LESLIE: Yes, one hundred percent. It will be very hard or her.
Does it get easier for her as the more important it becomes to her to wear the suit? Does she begin to understand that more?
LESLIE: Yeah, she definitely does because, at the end of the day, she innately is a hero. She definitely begins to understand the responsibility of what that suit means.
What was it like to actually get fitted for the suit, and then to put the suit on for the first time, once it was ready for you?
LESLIE: It was really fun. The moment I put that suit on, you automatically feel like a superhero and you feel the responsibility of what the suit represents. It was just a beautiful journey to go on, with creating the suit, because I had to keep going in for fittings and, every single time, it was a little bit more detailed and completed. At the end of it, I felt like a space superhero because my boots have this really thick platform and it reminded me of spaceship suits. Ryan’s version of Batwoman is just really super epic. love the suit, I love the hair, and I love the feel of it. It’s really, really smooth.
How long did it take to get use to wearing it and working in it?
LESLIE: It’s definitely a journey, to get used to working in it because you have to get used to over-selling all of your actions, but once you get used to it, it’s just another language. I make sure that, when I’m practicing, I follow through with everything, because the suit is going to limit how well I’m able to follow through.
At least initially, Ryan is wearing Kate Kane’s Batwoman suit. Will she be able to make the suit her own, as the season progresses? Is that something that will evolve, as she evolves?
LESLIE: Definitely. She is going to really come into her own, as it happens.
What was your very first day on set like? How nervous were you, at the beginning of the day, and how did you feel by the time you had wrapped the day?
LESLIE: I wasn’t really that nervous. I was just really amped. I had been waiting for two months. There was a lot of talk and I was tired of all of the hype. I just wanted to start doing my job. I was really, really excited. My first day, it was pent up and I was ready to get to work.
What was the first stunt or fight scene that you got to shoot, and what was it like to actually get in there and do some of the action?
LESLIE: My first stunt was when I fly out of the scene that I’m talking to Nicole [Kang] and Camrus [Johnson] in. I was just really excited. I was laughing and giggling so hard because it was just such an epic moment. Honestly, to know that every single day, I get to do these dope stunts, is just the best part, ever.
Has there been a stunt on the show that you wished you could do, but they just wouldn’t let you do it?
LESLIE: Yeah, there’s definitely always a stunt on the show that I wish I could do. As time goes on, they allow me to do a little bit more, here and there. The more comfortable they get with me taking chances, the more they allow me to do, but they take their time. They make sure not to rush it.
No superhero can survive on their own without a team, so what does Ryan think of suddenly having this team of Luke and Mary?
LESLIE: Oh, that’s difficult. She’s not used to having to check in with people, to do whatever it is that she wants to do. That’s definitely a huge journey of hers, to have to listen to someone tell her what to do.
What has been the fun for you, in having a team of actors that are there for you as well?
LESLIE: It’s so much fun. I feel so supported, having the cast that I have. They’re so insanely talented. You’re talking about a superhero show, so we’re just having fun. We’re playing. Maybe sometimes we’re playing too much. Everybody needs a little bit of that lightness and joy, and we definitely bring that to the table, every single time.
How challenging will it be for Ryan to keep Batwoman a secret? Does she have trouble trying to keep it a secret, or does it become important to her?
LESLIE: She doesn’t really have friends and family, so for her, it’s not that difficult. But there are going to be times where she’s going to have to contemplate revealing herself for the bigger and better picture. You’ll see what happens.
Will we get to see much of a romantic life for her?
LESLIE: Yeah, you will. You’ll see some romance, definitely. There’s some romance that’s going to happen very naturally, based off of her past, even before she was Batwoman.
You’ve previously revealed your skill as a tap dancer. Do you think there’s any chance to figure out some way to work that into an episode of the show?
LESLIE: I don’t know about tap dancing. Maybe just some quick foot moves. I don’t see Batwoman tap dancing.
There could be some villain with mind-control powers that could make her do that, at some point.
LESLIE: And I already know how to do it, so they wouldn’t have to teach me. We need to plug that to the writers.
How did it feel, the first time you saw the poster for the show with your face representing this character? What’s it like to picture yourself alongside all of the other superheroes on The CW?
LESLIE: It was epic. I was shocked to see that. This is a dream come true. It felt like, “Wow, I stuck with it, and look where I’m at.” It was a really, really surreal moment for me.
Knowing that there are all of these other superheroes on the same network, who do you think she would best get along with?
LESLIE: BeforeBlack Lightningcame to an end, I would say Thunder. That would be her girl. They’re both Black lesbian superheroes. If they weren’t together, they’d definitely be good girlfriends. Outside of that, I innately have a strong connection with Flash, just because I think the Barry version of Flash is kind of like me. I could definitely see them connecting, as well.
