Why did Ruby Rose leave ‘Batwoman’?

As we start watching Batwoman season three, we remember the beginnings of the show, when Ruby Rose played the character. Batwoman began in mid-2018 when leads of the CW’s other DC comics’ shows said the Batwoman character would be in an Arrow crossover. It was later revealed that the CW had a Batwoman show in the works, and the series was ordered a year later in 2019.

Their intentions were to cast a lesbian actress to play Batwoman, and the show made history by having an openly sapphic heroine. This, in a world where LGBTQ+ people are still fighting for representation, is an awesome thing. It led to Ruby Rose being cast for the role, and she played Batwoman for the first season.

However, things would soon be shaken up. Why did Ruby Rose leave Batwoman? Read on & find out.

Ruby Rose’s departure

Two days after the finale of Batwoman’s first season, our leading lady announced she would be leaving. She said the following to The Hollywood Reporter:

“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 & in Los Angeles.

“I am beyond appreciative to Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter & 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 & Mark Pedowitz, and the teams at Warner Bros. & 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.”

Why did Ruby Rose leave Batwoman? The reason wasn’t revealed until almost a year later, and it turned out to be quite personal.

Why did Ruby Rose leave?

Rose explained her exit from Batwoman to Entertainment Weekly. It turns out she needed surgery for a back injury she got on set in 2019. She hurt two disks, and almost got herself paralyzed by hurting her spinal cord! It wasn’t pretty.

However, her reasons for leaving were more than just that. Because of COVID, she had time to “just think about a lot of different things and what you want to achieve in life and what you want to do”. Rose stated to Entertainment Weekly:

“I think for both [me & the producers], it was a great opportunity to have a dialogue about a lot of things. I respect them so much and they’ve been so respectful to me. I think it was actually a beautiful way to do something, especially since that was the first time it’s ever been done — the first time Batwoman has ever been played in live-action and that she was LGBTQ. I’m very honored to have been able to play her.”

So why did Ruby Rose leave Batwoman? For a lot of complicated reasons. However, it seems when she got a chance to step back from the show, she evaluated where she wanted to go in life, and Batwoman wasn’t included in those plans. We don’t blame her, but we do miss her nevertheless.

The third season without Rose

From season two onwards, actress Javicia Leslie has been portraying Batwoman’s titular character. She’s done a great job, and we’re full of praise for her stunning performance.

The show has also performed well, or at least well enough to get a third season coming out this year. Each episode has us at the edge of our seats. We can’t wait for more!

Yes, we miss Ruby Rose. However, we respect her decision to leave the show and hope the best for her acting career.

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What are your thoughts on Batwoman? Do you like the show? Let us know in the comments!