“Becoming her own Batwoman! Her style, her swag, her moment!”
Right here. Right now.
Natural hair. Natural curves. The strength of a black woman is in full display.
Javicia Leslie is the first Black woman to portray a live-action version of the beloved superhero on screen and now CW is giving us a sneak peek on what to expect.
CW released two first-look images for the “Batwoman” suit redesigned to suit Javicia Leslie’s character, Ryan Wilder, featuring noticeable differences, most noticeably however, the outfit ditched the fierce sleek red hair for curly hair with red streaks. In addition, the effect of the new costume creates a much more stronger silhouette to suit the black woman representation.
“Ryan’s journey starts from a place of ‘What can this Batsuit do for me?’ But it’s not long before she realizes the power of its symbol and what it can do for everyone else in Gotham City,” said executive producer Caroline Dries of Batwoman’s new look. “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.’ Maya Mani sent me her drawings and I loved it. 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.”
“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 Batwoman costume designer Maya Mani. “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!”
Batwoman Leslie couldn’t help but gush as well: “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!”
The wig was created by Janice Workman, and Takisha Sturdivant. Cory Roberts worked on the makeup.
Javicia Leslie takes over from Ruby Rose as Batwoman.
