‘Batwoman’ Star Javicia Leslie Dishes on Season 3, Romance for Ryan, and What She’s Looking Forward to When the Series Returns [Exclusive]
Batwoman Season 3 kicked off in October 2021, and The CW series wasted no time diving into the thrilling next chapter of Ryan Wilder’s (Javicia Leslie) journey. The show returns this January, and Javicia Leslie spoke with Showbiz Cheat Sheet about what’s happened in season 3 so far and what she’s looking forward to in the coming episodes.
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for the first half of Batwoman Season 3.]
Javicia Leslie opens up about Ryan Wilder’s journey
Javicia Leslie made her debut as Ryan Wilder in Batwoman Season 2, and her character has come a long way since she first put on the Batsuit. Ryan’s initial outing as Batwoman saw her grappling with what it meant to take up that mantle. The second season also saw her helping the Bat Team find Kate Kane.
Speaking on Ryan’s evolution throughout season 2, Leslie explained her character went from wrestling with “the shadow of the suit and what it represented” to embracing something greater:
“It started to move into this space where it wasn’t necessarily about being in a shadow; it was more so about bringing Kate home. It was more so about, how do you help these people who you’ve formed this really close relationship [with]? How do you help them heal? How do you help them find their person? And that had become her ultimate goal.”
Moving beyond the search for Kate, Batwoman Season 3 sees Ryan facing new obstacles — including reconnecting with her birth family. According to Leslie, working with the actors who play Jada (Robin Givens) and Marquis (Nick Creegan) Jet has been a highlight of filming the latest batch of episodes:
“It’s been fun. Honestly, I love the actors that I get to play with. Nick Creegan is absolutely amazing, and he’s having so much fun with the character. And Robin Givens, she’s like royalty in Hollywood. She’s been doing this for a while, and she’s just so talented and so amazing. And she and I have gotten so, so close. So, to be able to be a part of this new capacity with them, it really is like icing on the cake.”
The chemistry between the actors definitely jumps off the screen. Of course, that’s also true when looking at the Bat Team.
On working with Camrus Johnson as Batwing
Ryan and Luke Fox (Camrus Johnson) get off to a rocky start in Batwoman Season 2, but the two become close friends as the series progresses. By the time season 3 kicks off, Luke is suiting up alongside Batwoman. And his debut as Batwing has been a highlight of the show’s recent outings.
When asked about working with Camrus Johnson in this new capacity, Javicia Leslie admitted the experience has been “really seamless.”
“It’s amazing,” she said. “I’m really, really close with Camrus Johnson.”
She also gushed about what it was like to have Johnson in the director’s seat for an episode of Batwoman:
“He just directed his first episode of Batwoman that we just wrapped. So, he’s just a freaking star in every kind of way, whether it be through being able to act with him or being directed by him or even him as a writer and as a creator. So yeah, it’s a lot of fun. A lot of fun.”
Fans will see Johnson’s work when Batwoman Season 3 Episode 11, “Broken Toys,” airs this winter. What else can they expect moving forward?
Could Ryan and Sophie get together in ‘Batwoman’ Season 3?
Ryan’s relationship with Luke isn’t the only one to evolve from season 2 to season 3. Batwoman Season 3 sees Ryan and Sophie (Meagan Tandy) embracing a new dynamic, one where both women are slowly learning to trust one another. With that comes hints of romantic feelings between the two. And Batwoman‘s recent crossover with The Flash suggests those sparks could go somewhere in future installments.
During The CW’s Armageddon event, fans are introduced to an alternate reality where Ryan and Sophie are actually married. Javicia Leslie admitted it was fun to step into the shoes of a married character, even if she didn’t get to act out the relationship on-screen:
“In the alternate universe with the Flash, we only talked about it. Sophie wasn’t in the episode. So, it wasn’t something that we played into physically. So, walking away from it, it’s a really cool thing. I’ve never played a character that’s been married or anything like that. So, even talking about it is fun.”
Many fans are hoping to see Ryan and Sophie get together in the main universe when Batwoman Season 3 returns, but what about Leslie? She admits she’s happy as long as both characters are:
“I want Ryan to be happy. I want Sophie to be happy. So, if it’s meant for them to be happy together, then that’s amazing. If it’s meant for them to be happy separately and that’s the healthiest version, I’m also OK with that.”
To be fair, Ryan and Sophie have plenty to contend with beyond a potential romance. That includes Mary Hamilton’s (Nicole Kang) recent transformation, which is one of Leslie’s most-anticipated storylines when Batwoman Season 3 returns.
What Javicia Leslie is looking forward to when ‘Batwoman’ returns
Batwoman‘s midseason finale ended with a major cliffhanger, having Mary fully embrace her role as Poison Ivy and seeing Ryan sign Wayne Enterprises over to her brother. The series needs to address both developments when it returns. And Javicia Leslie is especially looking forward to the continuation of Nicole Kang’s run as Poison Ivy:
“I’m super excited for Poison Ivy. I think Nicole Kang is just doing a phenomenal job with this character. And I just can’t wait for everyone to see all of what this character is and just how dynamic and how full she made this character. She really took it off the page. And she’s our first Asian Poison Ivy — like, heck yeah. So, I’m really, really excited for that.”
Fans are on the same page as the Batwoman star, though Ryan is probably less excited to see what Mary gets up to next. Leslie admitted her character is feeling down about how things played out during the most recent episode.
“She feels defeated,” Leslie explained. “Definitely. That’s her best friend. And to see that she wasn’t able to help her best friend is possibly one of the hardest parts.”
Hopefully, Ryan will find a way to get through to Mary before Batwoman Season 3 concludes. As much as we love seeing Kang as Poison Ivy, viewers want to see the Bat Team together again, too.
Catch Javicia Leslie’s next outing in the Batsuit when Batwoman returns on The CW on Jan. 12 at 9 p.m. ET.
