Batwoman marks a huge first for superhero television by serving as the first ever comic book TV show, Marvel or DC, to focus on an openly lesbian character in the form of Kate Kane (Ruby Rose). While this is great, of course, the producers of the series are keen to treat Kate’s sexuality in the way that it should be handled: as just one part of her personality and not her defining characteristic.
Speaking at the Batwoman Comic-Con panel over the weekend, showrunner Caroline Dries explained that she and the rest of the writers found it “important” to make sure that Kate being gay was just “one of her traits.”
“What’s important to us is Kate being gay is just another one of her traits, and we’re not going to make it that huge in the story apart from the fact that when she falls in love, it’s with a woman.”
Speaking of a romance for the heroine, we know that one of her partners from the comics is off the table for the series: Gotham cop/the second Question Renee Montoya. Dries explained at Comic-Con that the character’s appearance in the upcoming Birds of Prey movie means she’s currently unavailable. The producer remains hopeful, though, that Montoya may come their way after BoP arrives in theaters.
Going by what we can piece together from the trailers, it seems like a defining part of Kate’s life will be replicated on screen. Before she became Batwoman, Kate was dishonorably discharged from the military because of her relationship with another woman. On the show, it seems this is what leads her back to Gotham, and eventually to don the cape and cowl and take over from her cousin Bruce Wayne as the city’s protector.
We’ll find out for sure though when Batwoman season 1 kicks off Sunday, October 6th on The CW.
