The New Lesbian Batwoman Show is Shaping Up to Be, Well, Perfect

Earlier this week, The CW announced that a brand-new Batwoman series is in development at the network. Batwoman, who is a canonically gay character, will be portrayed as such in the show. The drama will be penned by an out lesbian writer, Caroline Dries, and produced by the prolific queer director and producer, Greg Berlanti.

And while our leading lady has yet to be cast, it looks like the show is seeking an out lesbian to play the role, which raises the question: is this show perfect?

According to TVLine, a “source” said that the potential Arrowverse show is “seeking an out lesbian actress, open ethnicity, to play age 25 to 29” for the role of Kate Kane, AKA Batwoman. In the show’s official description, Kane is described as a wealthy Gotham socialite “armed with a passion for social justice and a flair for speaking her mind,” and a “highly trained street fighter primed to snuff out the failing city’s criminal resurgence.”

But the logline doesn’t stop there. “Don’t call her a hero yet,” it brags. “In a city desperate for a savior, Kate must overcome her own demons before embracing the call to be Gotham’s symbol of hope.” Overcoming demons? Yup, sounds gay to me.

Given this past month’s turmoil surrounding Scarlett Johansson’s decision to accept a trans role in the film Rub & Tug, this news actually feels like a harbinger of real change. After Johansson’s role was announced, the backlash from the transgender community was widespread–they demanded trans actors be cast in trans roles. Subsequently, Johansson pulled out of the film and retracted her previous defensive statements on the matter. The LGBTQ community has been insisting that queer people play queer roles for a long time — maybe it’s actually starting to happen.

No word yet on who will play the lesbian superhero, but the character will be introduced on-screen for the very first time in December as a part of The CW’s annual DC crossover event, which isn’t too far away.