Ruby Rose Quits The CW's Batwoman After One Season

[JayC]

In what is a somewhat surprising development, the lead star in CW's DC Comics Batwoman series has decided to step down after one season, even the show was already renewed for a second one.

A reason for her departure has yet to be given but according to THR, the plan is that they will recast the character for next year.
 

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“I have made the very difficult decision to not return to Batwoman next season," said Rose. "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.”

 

[abnuggler]

I have nothing against Ruby Rose but I just never saw her as Batwoman (that was just a personal opinion) but more importantly when they cast her (looking back at her previous acting roles) I imediately thought she wasnt ready to be lead role actress, she doesnt seem horrible but I think she has a ways to go before she could be considered for the lead role in a big show/movie, she had moslty done minor o b-list roles prior to this and never really stood out. I havent really seen the show much but what little I did catch I wasnt engaged, partly because of the show itself (lazy, slow and unitresting writing) and partly because of her performance being a bit bland (in conjunction with the way her character is written).

Whatever may be her reason for leaving (if in fact its her choice to leave and not the producer's choice to let go of her amidst the bad reception towards her and the shows poor performance, coming to an agreement saying its her choice so it wouldnt hurt the show more and the transition to a new actor would be easier), If its because she didnt think the show was handled/written well I would totally understand, I wouldnt want to stay in a ship I see is sinking and whatever I do its not my fault and cant do anything about it but the sistem itelf what is causing it to be so bad, but if its because she just couldnt handle the hate towards her portrayl then as I said it only reafirms what I thought that she just wasnt ready to be a lead in a show with a big fanbase such as this one, yeah sometimes its not fair and not everythin is her fault and she recieves most of the hate but then again thats why she is the lead and gets paid the big bucks, part of her job is not just acting but being the face of the show and sometimes that means having to withstand the criticism of things that arent your fault, It takes an actor with more experience and more temper to be able to handle such pressures.

In any case I hope this is for the best and the CW/Berlanti find a new actor that fits the character better and is able to turn things around, also they need to work on these shows a little more, last couple of seasons overall all the DC CW shows have been going down in quality (maybe its the case of there are so many shows that the showrunners just cant handle all of them and having so many shows running at the same time is hurting all of them, not enough exciting ideas not enough good writers, I dont know what it is but ever since Supergirl joined the CW, then Black Lightning, now Batwoman and next season Superman & Lois it just seems like the shows that were working well enough have been going downhill and the new ones just dont seem all that intresting).

[Satam]

I'm totally fine with this.

[Atlantis]

I never cared for the Batwoman character in the comics, didn't go for the show,  didn't like Gotham after 2nd season; this notion of having shows around the Main Event, but never showing that event (Batman) just don't fly with me.

The notion that Bruce Wayne grew up with a close cousin after, what, 80 years of never hearing about this person? Bullsh1t. Dropping in characters like this and pretending they were there all along is poor story writing, and in this case a desperate grasp to capture a subject the writers don't know jack about. And Oh how I hate "copy cat" characters- Batgirl, Speedy, Kate Bishop, Falcon II- just monuments to unoriginality. Robin (Dick Grayson) gets a pass; he's a sidekick that stood the test of time. I do like Miles Morales and Donna Troy (Wonder Girl) so yeah, some "copy cats" get thru. But that's all a whole other discussion. This is about Batwoman the tv show. I didn't have much expectations for it (didn't care for Krypton either).

But I tuned in when I could, I tried to stomach the premise, but the tv show is as badly written as the comics; Batwoman's main foe is nothing more than a feeble mashup of Joker and Harley Quinn and really is unwatchable.

Then there's Ruby Rose. She did a good job with the material she was given. Attractive, somewhat athletic in her way, but too scrawny to really pull off a superhero (CWs upcoming Superman actor is also too scrawny but I guess they don't give a damn). Her costume also did her no favors, especially that mask. She's a good actress though and she sustained emergency spinal surgery after an injury (not sure if it was on set or not). Not sure this led to her decision, but this has been causing constant pain; between that and the poor ratings, its no wonder she had to give up the role.

The CW announced today theyre committed to recasting the role and want a gay actor. I get it , but I doubt that's gonna save the show, cause people who tuned in weren't doing it to see a LGBTQ actress playing a LGBTQ superhero- they wanted a superhero who fights crime...and happens to be LGBTQ.

Good luck to Miss Rose, take care of that back, get better!! Spinal injuries are no joke!

 

 

[TheMikeSnyder]

I'm surprised they didn't lock her into a multi season contract on the show. I haven't been watching the cw shows because it got to be too much to keep up with. But I thought she looked the part and I don't mind Ruby in other things.

[Outsiders]

TVLine is reporting that Ruby Rose leaving the show wasn't just her choice but a mutual agreement between her and the studio.

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“It wasn’t 100-percent her decision,” concedes a source close to the show. “It was a breakup. She wasn’t happy working on the show, and did that make her fun to work with? No. So everyone decided it would be in the best interests of the show, and for all concerned, if they parted ways. It just wasn’t a good fit.”

 

[Batfreak87]

Well best of luck to her. The show didn't really capture me like I wanted it to, you got to have good writing for the show, so I don't blame her for her portrayal of the character, it was just the writing. I can get why she left. 

[mako]

The lead role in an hour-long scripted series is a pretty intense prospect under any circumstances. Make it a stunt-heavy superhero costume drama, and you're heading someplace few people are willing to stay for long. And that's not even taking into account Rose's emergency back surgery.

Then you have the show's nose-dive in quality post-Crisis, the fact it was basically just a pastiche of other Berlanti cliche's on its best day, and the fact Rose was probably only hired for her sexual orientation, and you just do not have the recipe for a happy camper.

Loved her in the role, but glad she got out. Honestly, I'd be happy if they just cancelled all these garbage fires.

[AdamM]

1 hour ago, mako said:

The lead role in an hour-long scripted series is a pretty intense prospect under any circumstances. Make it a stunt-heavy superhero costume drama, and you're heading someplace few people are willing to stay for long. And that's not even taking into account Rose's emergency back surgery.

Then you have the show's nose-dive in quality post-Crisis, the fact it was basically just a pastiche of other Berlanti cliche's on its best day, and the fact Rose was probably only hired for her sexual orientation, and you just do not have the recipe for a happy camper.

Loved her in the role, but glad she got out. Honestly, I'd be happy if they just cancelled all these garbage fires.

I agree with a lot of what you say here, I'm not sure her sexuality was her only qualification, but I agree that these lead roles are physically taxing while also requiring a massive commitment. And yeah, I'm sure there are a ton of unemployed actors who'd leap at the chance....but having vs. wanting is a key difference. It's interesting to see how the "Berlanti-vers" is playing out, I was surprised at a lot of negativity from Stephen Amell on his way out, didn't he say he was only doing the last season for the money? And Brandon Routh was unhappy, now a major lead quitting.... I wonder if this speaks ill for them lasting too many more seasons, even without the massive complications of the pandemic.

[JayC]

Following the news from earlier this week that stated that actress Ruby Rose had stepped down from the lead role of CW's Batwoman series after only one season, Variety is now reporting that she left due to not wanting to work long hours which caused friction on the set.

Obviously if true, and we only have Variety's secret sources to back this claim up at this time, that won't bode well for the actresses reputation in the industry. Even though this was Rose's first job as the lead on a series, I would think one would go into something like this with a pretty clear idea that it would require long hours on the set. Generally long-term contracts are put in place for roles on a series like this, so this explanation doesn't really explain why the studio would be willing to just let her walk, especially when the show was already renewed for a second season.

Rose recently suffered two herniated discs while on set of the series which was said to have caused her significant discomfort. She was also known for suffering from mental health issues. In the past she has openly talked about the attempting of suicide multiple times and how she had been hospitalized at different times in her life.

I am sure we haven't heard the last of this and more details will come to light in the coming days. As it stands the studio, network, and Berlanti Productions said they would be seeking “a new lead actress and member of the LGBTQ community, in the coming months.”

[marionlawless]

17 hours ago, AdamM said:

It's interesting to see how the "Berlanti-vers" is playing out, I was surprised at a lot of negativity from Stephen Amell on his way out, didn't he say he was only doing the last season for the money? And Brandon Routh was unhappy, now a major lead quitting.... I wonder if this speaks ill for them lasting too many more seasons, even without the massive complications of the pandemic.

Budgets also seem to be going down. David Harewood has publicly lamented that J'onn can barely go full greeen because of money issues. And how often does Elongated man actually elongate?  They spent most of their Crisis budget on cameos and the action was pretty lackluster as a result.

[lordtom]

When they announced the show, Ruby Rose was who I touted for the role. Just a shame the show was a pile of crap. And how It handled the messaging was an insult to the LGBTQ+ community if I'm being honest. That being said I don't blame her for walking away, the hours these guys work is insane ad to that her injuries and past mental health problems, she did the right thing. You don't owe anyone a damn thing if it costs you your own wellbeing. 

[JayC]

3 hours ago, marionlawless said:

Budgets also seem to be going down. David Harewood has publicly lamented that J'onn can barely go full greeen because of money issues. And how often does Elongated man actually elongate?  They spent most of their Crisis budget on cameos and the action was pretty lackluster as a result.

I've been loosing interest in all the CW DCTV Shows. Supergirl IMO has actually been the best of the bunch this season though I stopped watching a few weeks after Crisis. I was pretty disappointed in the Crisis crossover. The only good thing was the Super Friends ending but doubt they will do much with that. I also think it was a mistake to get rid of Stephen Amil. He was essentially the glue that held this Universe together. I don't have a problem that they ended Arrow cause the show seemed to have run its course but think they should have kept the character around for cameos in the other shows or even cancel both Flash and Arrow and do a team up show. 

[TheGrimeyGhost]

1 hour ago, lordtom said:

When they announced the show, Ruby Rose was who I touted for the role. Just a shame the show was a pile of crap. And how It handled the messaging was an insult to the LGBTQ+ community if I'm being honest. That being said I don't blame her for walking away, the hours these guys work is insane ad to that her injuries and past mental health problems, she did the right thing. You don't owe anyone a damn thing if it costs you your own wellbeing. 

Even though I liked the show and her performance of Kate Kane, she has to take care of her health first.  Suddenly all the glamour fades when facing the realities of what she was put through, and agreed, she doesn't owe anyone anything if she felt unsafe.  

[Goldbug]

16 hours ago, marionlawless said:

Budgets also seem to be going down. David Harewood has publicly lamented that J'onn can barely go full greeen because of money issues. And how often does Elongated man actually elongate?  They spent most of their Crisis budget on cameos and the action was pretty lackluster as a result.

This is why they made him wear his costume in human form recently. I never really liked that he "choose" to use his enemies face as his regular one either.

13 hours ago, JayC said:

I've been loosing interest in all the CW DCTV Shows. Supergirl IMO has actually been the best of the bunch this season though I stopped watching a few weeks after Crisis. I was pretty disappointed in the Crisis crossover. The only good thing was the Super Friends ending but doubt they will do much with that. I also think it was a mistake to get rid of Stephen Amil. He was essentially the glue that held this Universe together. I don't have a problem that they ended Arrow cause the show seemed to have run its course but think they should have kept the character around for cameos in the other shows or even cancel both Flash and Arrow and do a team up show. 

I'm sure Stephen Amell was happy to leave. I gave up on that show when they killed original Black Canary & made Felicity his love interest.

I've also lost interest in all those CW shows. If it is budget issues then it really shows. If they cancelled them all I wouldn't care much. In fact they SHOULD cancel Legends. That show has just spun out of control.

On the other hand Stargirl is a breath of fresh air. I can't wait until episode 2!

[mako]

3 hours ago, Goldbug said:

On the other hand Stargirl is a breath of fresh air. I can't wait until episode 2!

I can't bring myself to watch Stargirl, much the same way I'll probably skip Superman when it comes out.

I like the Stargirl character. I dug her on Justice League, and I LOVED her on Smallville. That's why I just can't stand the thought of seeing the character dragged through Berlanti's Social Justice Meat Grinder like so many before. It was bad enough watching him wreck Supergirl.

I'd like to think not even Berlanti would do his usual hatchet job on a series focusing on an under-age hero based on her creator's beloved dead teenage daughter . . . but I honestly know better,

[yojoebro82]

On 5/23/2020 at 2:22 AM, mako said:

I can't bring myself to watch Stargirl, much the same way I'll probably skip Superman when it comes out.

I like the Stargirl character. I dug her on Justice League, and I LOVED her on Smallville. That's why I just can't stand the thought of seeing the character dragged through Berlanti's Social Justice Meat Grinder like so many before. It was bad enough watching him wreck Supergirl.

I'd like to think not even Berlanti would do his usual hatchet job on a series focusing on an under-age hero based on her creator's beloved dead teenage daughter . . . but I honestly know better,

Is Stargirl a Berlanti show?  I thought Geoff Johns was in charge.  I've heard nothing but good things about episode 1.

I will be giving Superman and Lois a shot and hope for the best.

Oh....This is a Batwoman thread....sorry.  Have not seen the show, there are too many superhero shows to possibly keep up with.  Like all the others, it's on my "to do" list once it hits netflix.

[elongatedman]

 maybe they should cast unknown actress this time to avoid the backlash