Ruby Rose Quits Batwoman After One Season: 'This Was Not a Decision I Made Lightly'
Ruby Rose is saying goodbye to Batwoman.
The actress, 34, revealed in a statement on Tuesday that she is quitting the lead role of The CW series after just one season.
"I have made the very difficult decision to not return to Batwoman next season," Rose said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. "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."
"I am beyond appreciative to Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Caroline Dries for not only giving me this incredible opportunity, but for welcoming me into the DC universe they have so beautifully created. Thank you Peter Roth and Mark Pedowitz and the teams at Warner Bros. and The CW who put so much into the show and always believed in me. Thank you to everyone who made season one a success — I am truly grateful."
Warner Bros. said the role will be recast.
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Warner Bros., The CW and Berlanti Productions issued a joint statement —obtained by PEOPLE — thanking Rose for her "contributions to the success of our first season and wish her all the best."
"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."
It is not immediately clear what led to Rose's exit.
The first season of Batwoman premiered in October 2019 and consisted of 18 episodes.
Rose starred on the series as Kate Kane — the cousin of Bruce Wayne — three years after Batman's mysterious disappearance. The season scored a 79 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Rose previously raved over the role saying during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in 2018 "It's a game-changer."
“I found out an hour before I did the premiere for [The] Meg and I was so nervous doing the red carpet that I basically skipped everybody.”
“I kept spontaneously crying and I feel like I’m probably going to do it now,” she continued. “Everyone always says, ‘So what have you got planned next?’ And I thought either I’m going to put my foot in it and accidentally say something, or I’m going to start crying.”
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Batwoman marked the first TV series focusing on an LGBTQ superhero.
“Armed with a passion for social justice and a flair for speaking her mind, Kate Kane soars onto the streets of Gotham as Batwoman, an out lesbian and highly trained street fighter primed to snuff out the failing city’s criminal resurgence,” reads the official logline. “But don’t call her a hero yet. In a city desperate for a savior, Kate must overcome her own demons before embracing the call to be Gotham’s symbol of hope.”
The Orange Is the New Black alum, who is gay, told Fallon she was “thrilled” to bring the character to life.
“I get to be Batwoman — I mean, like, what?” she said. “I feel like the reason I kept getting so emotional is because growing up watching TV, I never somebody on TV that I could identify with, let alone a superhero.”
