Actress Javicia Leslie has been confirmed as the new leading role in the CW series Batwoman - making her the first black actress ever to play the role on TV.
The announcement was made on Warner Bros. official Twitter account, where they confirmed that the 33-year-old former God Friended Me would be Gotham's new Batwoman, Ryan Wilder.
Per The Independent, Leslie said in a statement that she is "extremely proud" to be the first black actress to play the heroine, and added that, as a bisexual woman, she is honored to be joining the "groundbreaking" show. She said:
"I am extremely proud to be the first black actress to play the iconic role of Batwoman on television, and as a bisexual woman, I am honored to join this groundbreaking show, which has been such a trailblazer for the LGBTQ+ community."
The decision comes after the former star of the show, Ruby Rose, made the "very difficult decision" to step down from playing Kate Kane after just one series back in May.
Per the Evening Express, the 34-year-old Australian actress said in a statement: "I have made the very difficult decision to not return to Batwoman next season.
"This was not a decision I made lightly as I have the utmost respect for the cast, crew and everyone involved with the show in both Vancouver and in Los Angeles."
But after the news was announced, Rose took to Instagram to congratulate Leslie on bagging the role.
Writing to her 15.5 million followers on Instagram, Rose gushed: "OMG!! This is amazing!! I am so glad Batwoman will be played by an amazing Black woman. I want to congratulate Javicia Leslie on taking over the bat cape.
"You are walking into an amazing cast and crew. I can’t wait to watch season 2 you are going to be amazing!"
Following Rose's departure, The CW, Warner Bros Television, and Berlanti Productions announced that they were still "firmly committed" to the show, and confirmed that they would be re-casting Batwoman with another member of the LGBTQ+ community.
They said: "The studio and network are firmly committed to Batwoman’s second season and long-term future, and we — along with the show’s talented creative team — look forward to sharing its new direction, including the casting of a new lead actress and member of the LGBTQ community, in the coming months."
Season two of the show lands in 2021.
Congratulations Leslie! We cannot wait to see you on our screens!