Entertainment
Come Oct. 6, The CW will welcome a new show into the Arrowverse: Batwoman, which follows Bruce Wayne's cousin, Kate Kane, as she defends Gotham in his absence. That means a whole new slate of characters — and actors — to get to know. And while the star of the series is Orange Is the New Black breakout Ruby Rose, the rest of the Batwoman cast is mostly comprised of newcomers.
Kate Kane's world will be rounded out by a number of family members, friends, love interests — and, of course, plenty of enemies. But it's the absence of a character that actually brings her town: when the show picks up, Gotham is being terrorized by a new villain, and Batman is nowhere to be found. Enter Kate, who decides to break into Wayne Tower and tailor her cousin's Bruce suit to her specifications. It's unclear why he's missing or where he might be, but don't expect him to show up anytime soon; Batwoman is Kate's show.
"I think part of Kate’s journey is not to just fill these abandoned shoes, but to find her home," executive producer Caroline Dries told CinemaBlend. "So, I think it’s really important she has that time for all of us to spend with her and figure out what it means."
See which characters will be helping (and hurting) her along this journey of self-discovery — and get to know the actors portraying them.
Ruby Rose — Kate Kane / Batwoman
Like all good superheroes, Kate has a tragic backstory. According to the DC site, Kate was kidnapped alongside her twin sister, Elizabeth, and mother, Gabrielle when she was 12. Both of them were killed, and Kate was the only survivor.
Later in life, Kate was inspired to become a superhero after Batman saved her from being mugged. She proceeded to travel the world and learned different fighting techniques, just like her cousin did with Ra's al Ghul. When she returned to Gotham, she adopted the identity of Batwoman, which is where the show presumably picks up.
As for Rose, she's appeared in Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, xXx: Return of Xander Cage, John Wick: Chapter 2, and The Meg in addition to her breakout role as Stella Carlin in Orange Is the New Black.
Dougray Scott — Jacob Kane
As reported by IndieWire, Kate's dad Colonel Jacob Kane heads up Crows Private Security. He has a good relationship with Kate, though it's unclear if he knows her true identity. That said, Batwoman's DC bio says that her father helps coordinate her missions, so hopefully they'll team up eventually.
Dougray Scott, who plays Kane, is perhaps best known for starring as Prince Henry in Ever After opposite Drew Barrymore, but he's also appeared in Mission Impossible II, My Week with Marilyn, and Hitman.
Elizabeth Anweis — Catherine Hamilton-Kane
Anweis plays Kate's stepmother, Catherine. As she wrote of her role on Instagram, "The experience of being a part of this show has been beyond words. Incredibly grateful for the chance to bring Catherine Hamilton-Kane to life alongside some inspiring individuals I feel so lucky to get to work with. This village is fierce."
Anweis has previously had small parts in Twin Peaks: The Return, 9-1-1, The Affair, and NCIS: Los Angeles, among others.
Nicole Kang — Mary Hamilton
Kang plays Kate's step-sister Mary Hamilton, though details about the character have been sparse. Kang is best known for playing Lynn Lieser in the Lifetime-turned Netflix thriller YOU, and also appeared in OITNB Season 7 and Two Sentence Horror Stories.
Rachel Skarsten — Alice
Skarsten's character, Alice, is Batwoman's canonical counterpart. She's prone to quoting Lewis Carrol's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, but don't let her whimsy fool you: she's hellbent on making Batwoman's life miserable.
"I've had to sit with Alice more than other characters," Skarsten told CinemaBlend of taking on the role. "[S]he in a way inhabits so many different characters, because she goes from being totally normal to completely crazy to very vulnerable to like super-angry, and does it all within one paragraph of dialogue. So I've had to tinker with and play with the scenes more.... It's almost like choreographing a dance with myself."
Skarsten is known for her role as Elizabeth Tudor in the CW show Reign, as well as for playing Tamsin / Thomasina in the Canadian series Lost Girl. She's also been in Fifty Shades of Grey, The Vow, and CTV's Little Men miniseries.
Meagan Tandy — Sophie Moore
Tandy plays Kate's love interest, Sophie Moore, according to Kate's aforementioned DC biography. The women met at West Point, which the future Batwoman was asked to leave due to a Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. According to Deadline, Sophie remained in the military and currently works as the head of Crows Private Security under Kate's father.
Tandy has previously appeared in UnREAL and Teen Wolf, among other shows.
Camrus Johnson — Luke Fox
As shown in the trailer, Luke Fox is the new Alfred who helps alter Batman's suit to Kate's frame. "I love shooting in the bat cave — as anyone should," Johnson told the CW on the red carpet. "Every time I go in there, it's sort of a dream come true."
As for Johnson, he's no stranger to sci-fi and superhero shows: he's appeared in Luke Cage and The OA in addition to playing Omar Hassabala in The Sun Is Also a Star.
Sam Littlefield — Mouse
According to Deadline, Littlefield plays a villain named Mouse, who works for Alice. There's not much information about his character, but this isn't the first time Littlefinger has appeared in a CW show: he played Leland Schiller in the 2015 series The Messengers. He's also had small roles in Criminal Minds, The Leftovers, and Sharp Objects.
Brendon Zub — Chuck Dodgson
If Zub looks familiar to Hallmark and Lifetime fans, that's because he's been in holiday movies like The Christmas Calendar, A Twist of Christmas, and A December Bride, among others. However, he's also had roles in CW shows like Supernatural, The Flash, The 100, iZombie, and Charmed, so he's familiar with the network and its fervent fanbase.
Gabriel Mann — Tommy Elliot / Hush
According to TVLine, Mann will appear in Batwoman Episode 3 as a childhood friend of Bruce Wayne. However, Tommy also has a secret identity, Hush, and if the comic books are any indication, he could mean trouble.
Mann's previous credits include Nolan Ross on Revenge, Jacob Waller on Ray Donovan, and Gage Scott on What/If, among others.
Rachel Matthews — Magpie
TVLine further reports that Matthews will appear in Episode 4 as a villain named Magpie. Happy Death Day fans will recognize Matthews as Danielle Bouseman, and she'll also appear as Fiona in the upcoming Hulu series Looking for Alaska.
See them bring Gotham to life when Batwoman premieres Sunday, Oct. 6
