Batwoman's Javicia Leslie Wants a 'Super Black' Arrowverse Crossover

Javicia Leslie is ready to suit up and take on Gotham’s worst. The God Friended Me alum will soon don the leather cowl when Season 2 of Batwoman premieres this Sunday (The CW, 8/7c). Leslie’s Ryan Wilder takes over for Kate Kane, who will be missing in action following Ruby Rose’s departure from the series in May.

With Leslie set to join the Arrowverse, the actress says she’s open to mixing it up with her CW cohorts, like the cast of Black Lightning. However, all crossover plans will have to wait until next year due to the COVID outbreak.

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“I’m so heartbroken about the COVID situation because I know that it’s Black Lightning‘s last season, and I would have loved to do a crossover with them. Nafessa [Williams] and Jordan [Calloway] are really good friends of mine, and it would have been great to play with them and be superheroes all on the same show. That would have been epic,” Leslie tells TVLine, noting that she’d still like to stage a crossover when it’s safe to do so.

“Whatever show that has Black people on it, I’m going to do these crossovers with because I just want it to be a super Black crossover,” she adds.

TVLine has confirmed that the previously announced Arrowverse crossover between Batwoman and Superman & Lois has been cancelled as a result. According to Batwoman showrunner Caroline Dries, that also means Kara Danvers likely won’t be dropping by Gotham before Supergirl wraps this season.

“We’re not really able to cross over because physically, we can’t cross crews due to the fear of exposure to COVID,” Dries explains. “So if Supergirl weren’t ending this year, I would say there would be more of a possibility. But I’m afraid that at least this year, we’re not going to be able to tap into that dynamic.”

Batwoman‘s second season will focus on Wilder’s journey as Gotham’s newest caped crusader. She’s Black, lesbian and has a criminal record. Dries describes her as a messy, slightly goofy and untamed woman whose life has been scarred by racial injustice and a troubled childhood. Wilder will use the batsuit as a way to escape those unhealed wounds and become powerful in a way that she can’t outside of the suit.

Wilder won’t just be inheriting those cool Batwoman gadgets, though; she’ll also add her unique touches. Leslie reveals that Wilder will be making changes to the batsuit — among other things. “She wants to figure out a way to make this Batwoman comfortable for her, making Batwoman something that she feels represents her life, her path, the people that she represents.”

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