‘Batwoman’: Get Your First Look at Javicia Leslie in the New Batsuit

She’s here, folks: your new Batwoman, a.k.a. Javicia Leslie as Ryan Wilder has arrived, and she’s got a completely redesigned Batsuit for Season 2 of The CW series. And she looks amazing, as you can plainly see in the two looks at the suit provided to Decider by The CW/Warner Bros. below.

Though what happened behind the scenes on Batwoman may be debatable, on screen Kate Kane (Ruby Rose) will be mysteriously missing when Season 2 of the superhero series picks up in January, 2021 (the show is currently filming in Vancouver under new COVID-19 protocols). A new woman, Wilder, will initially don Kate’s Batsuit — but as she continues to grow into the role thanks to Kate’s friends and family, she’ll redesign the suit, officially unveiling the new look to Gotham City in episode three.

“Ryan’s journey starts from a place of ‘What can this Batsuit do for me?'” said EP Caroline Dries via statement. “But it’s not long before she realizes the power of its symbol and what it can do for everyone else in Gotham City. As Ryan embraces everything that makes her special, she adjusts the suit to fit her physically and figuratively. This meant creating a new body design and new cowl that was undeniably a statement that screamed ‘powerful.’”

The new suit was conceptualized by costume designer Maya Mani and created by Ocean Drive Leather, the wig created by Janice Workman and makeup styled by Cory Roberts.

“Maya Mani sent me her drawings and I loved it,” Dries continued. “The wig was something we never perfected in season one, and Janice Workman crushed it with this new take. Javicia and I saw various prototypes of styles and red ombres, and at one point we were trading our own iPad-doodled versions. Janice translated that into what we are looking at now. When I see it, I smile. It makes me feel inspired.”

Leslie, who is the first Black actress to portray Batwoman in live action added that, “I love the fact that Ryan is becoming her own Batwoman — it’s her style, her swag, and her moment! It was an honor to be able to collaborate with Caroline and Maya. I felt it was important that viewers could tell by the silhouette that Batwoman was a Black girl. With the form-fitting suit and beautiful Afro, we definitely nailed it!”

Among the changes to the costume include a new cowl with natural curly hair and red streaks, red gauntlets over the forearms, and shorter boots. In addition, the new costume is made of new materials, and features a laser etching to create “more visual depth and a stronger silhouette.”

“I was asked by Caroline Dries to design a Batsuit that was unique to the character of Ryan Wilder; as she is a highly skilled fighter, encapsulating her raw, athletic, and passionate nature was imperative,” said Costume Designer Maya Mani, who has created a number of the Arrow-verse suits. “As Batwoman, Javicia Leslie not only brings a fresh perspective, but physical strength to the role. It was important for the new suit to define Javicia’s commanding presence while showcasing her athleticism and allowing her the freedom to express the physical nature of Batwoman, all while looking ultra-cool in the process!”

Though Rose won’t be returning to the show, the mystery of Kate’s disappearance will be woven into the season as Ryan continues to grow into the role of Batwoman. Meaning, Kate is not dying, but also Rose won’t be back. Confusing, right? We’ll obviously know more once we see Leslie in action next year.

Here’s a character description for Ryan, to get you further excited:

“Ryan Wilder is about to become Batwoman. She’s relatable, messy, loyal, a little goofy, and apart from being a lesbian, she couldn’t be more different than the woman who wore the Batsuit before her, billionaire Kate Kane. Ryan, who we meet living in her van with only her plant for company, has been made to feel trapped and powerless by the system her whole life, and believes the Batsuit is the key to breaking out of it. But what she’ll come to discover is that it’s not the suit that makes Ryan Wilder powerful, it’s the woman inside of it who finds her destiny in changing Gotham City for good.”