‘Batwoman’ Executive Producers Address Ruby Rose’s Absence at Comic-Con

Will Thorne

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What’s a “Batwoman” panel without Batwoman?

The CW showed the pilot for its upcoming DC series at Comic-Con to much fan excitement, however, the absence of leading star Ruby Rose was conspicuous.

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Rose, who plays the titular lesbian superhero, was scheduled to headline the panel but announced just a couple days before the panel via Instagram that she wasn’t going to make it due to shooting demands on the series.

“We shoot six out of seven days a week, her schedule is really, really tight,” explained executive producer Caroline Dries at the panel.

The “Orange Is the New Black” alumna said that she had tried “everything that we could humanly to be there,” but that “it wasn’t until really now that we saw there wasn’t any other way to finish this ambitious episode we’re doing and create this amazing show that really is special.”

In the end, the panel consisted of executive producers Dries and Sarah Schechter, who acknowledged that fans might be a little disappointed not to see any of the talent.

“People came to see a giant band and we’re like the bass player,” Schechter joked.

Later on, the duo discussed Batwoman being the first out, lesbian superhero to lead a TV show.

“Representation is everything and diversity is our strength,” said Schechter. “We love this character and we love her sexuality and we love her beyond her sexuality…We’re really proud of being able to have an out lesbian woman front and center of these shows.”

The pair also commented on the similarities between Rose and her character, revealing that they made Kate Kane be vegan to reflect Rose and incorporated the actresses’ tattoos into the character.

In terms of other tidbits of info, Schechter and Dries said that Burt Ward, who played Robin in the original Adam West “Batman” series, will make in appearance in “Batwoman,” and that they are looking to “do things differently” when it comes to some of the iconic DC villains that will appear on the show.

The latest iteration of Batwoman is described as a highly trained fighter who has no trouble speaking her mind. She’s pressed into service as a crime-fighter as mayhem overruns Gotham, although Kane has to “overcome her own demons” before she can save the city.

Rose made her debut as Batwoman/Kate Kane in a DC Crossover episode that linked three storylines from CW’s “Supergirl,” “Flash” and “Arrow” and served as a trial run for the character.

“Batwoman” is set to premiere Oct. 6 on The CW.

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