The CW is Hoping to Cast a Lesbian Actress as the Lead in Its Upcoming ‘Batwoman’ Series

A lesbian Batwoman television series is in development at the CW, under the auspices of Arrowverse super-producer Greg Berlanti and Smallville executive producer Caroline Dries.

“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 show’s 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 character, which dates back to the 1950s, will make her debut in the CW’s December superhero crossover event between Arrow, The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl. The network is then expected to launch a solo show for the out heroine some time in 2019.

A lesbian Batwoman would be the first queer lead in any mainstream superhero film or TV show, though the Arrowverse is rife with gay characters — including Curtis Holt and Sara Lance on Arrow and Alex Danvers on Supergirl, which is also casting a trans character for next season.

Dries and Berlanti, who are producing alongside Sarah Schechter and former DC Entertainment Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns, have begun casting the role and are reportedly hoping to land a lesbian actress. (Berlanti has employed numerous LGBT actors in the Arrowverse, including Colton Haynes, Wentworth Miller, Keiynan Lonsdale, Victor Garber, John Barrowman and Russell Tovey.)

Batwoman was initially a romantic foil for Batman in Detective Comics. The character was reintroduced in 2006, this time as a Jewish lesbian who was drummed out of the military during the era of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” She has appeared both in Detective Comics and in two ongoing solo series.

Would you watch a live-action lesbian Batwoman series?