Ruby Rose shocked fans back in May when she announced she was leaving her leading role in the CW’s
Batwoman. The announcement she was exiting the show came after a successful first season and season two renewal, leaving fans curious as to why. Now the Australian native is opening up about the events that led up to her difficult decision.Rose explained in a new interview with EW that the decision was influenced heavily by the back injury she sustained early in filming which
required surgery. She returned to work on the set of
Batwoman shortly after the event, but Rose says her lack of recovery time affected her mental and emotional health."Being the lead of a superhero show is tough. Being the lead in anything is tough,"
said Rose. "But I think, in that particular instance, it was a lot more difficult because I was still recovering from my surgery. I had my surgery and then 10 days later I went to work, which maybe wasn't the best idea. Most people take about a month or three off before they return to work, so it was definitely made more difficult by that. But as far as being a lead of a show or a film—regardless if it's action or if it's emotional—in whichever ways it's taxing."Production on
Batwoman was halted in March as part of the world-wide COVID-19 shutdown, pushing off the finale for the show’s first season. Rose said that transitioning from the non-stop daily pace of being on set to the quietness of quarantine made her reevaluate what she wants out of her career and life."You know, you have time in quarantine and sort of isolation to just think about a lot of different things and what you want to achieve in life and what you want to do,” she explained. “I think for both [me and the producers], it was a great opportunity to have a dialogue about a lot of things. I respect them so much and they've been so respectful to me."Ruby was clear that even with the challenges of acting as the lead on the series and working through the physical and emotional toll of her injury, she still looks back on her time as Batwoman with fondness. “I'm so grateful that we got to achieve everything that we did and I'm proud of everyone that worked on it. I'm proud of myself for working under sort of interesting circumstances, you know, with the recovery and all. I would definitely do [TV] again,” said Rose, adding that the groundbreaking representation in
Batwoman was huge for her."I think it was actually a beautiful way to do something, especially since that was the first time it's ever been done—the first time Batwoman has ever been played in live-action and that she was LGBTQ. I'm very honored to have been able to play her," she finished.Rose’s latest comments about her exit from
Batwoman paint a positive picture of her time on the show, but in an
Instagram post shared on May 27, the
Pitch Perfect star alluded to a more dramatic scenario behind the scenes. “It wasn’t an easy decision but those who know, know…” wrote Rose. “I have stayed silent because that’s my choice for now but know I adore you all. I’m sure next season will be amazing also. Xxx *hangs up cowl and cape.”[video_embed id='1992171']RELATED: Javicia Leslie is the new ‘Batwoman’ lead [/video_embed]In July, it was announced that
God Friended Me star
Javicia Leslie would take on the title role for season two of
Batwoman. Instead of replacing Rose’s Kate Kane, however, Leslie will play a new character named Ryan Wilder who takes up the Batwoman mantle.
Like Rose, Leslie will also make history with her upcoming role—the star will be the first Black actress to play Batwoman. Leslie released a statement following her casting news that celebrated her history-making role.“I am extremely proud to be the first Black actress to play the iconic role of Batwoman on television, and as a bisexual woman, I am honored to join this groundbreaking show which has been such a trailblazer for the LGBTQ+ community,”
Leslie wrote.Production on season two of
Batwoman is still delayed because of COVID-19, but when the series returns to the air, Rose says she'll be tuning in to see Leslie put on the iconic costume. “I think she definitely knows what she's doing and she seems fantastic," Rose said of Leslie’s casting. "I think that honestly, I was so proud and so happy when I was told who would be replacing me. I'm just really stoked and I'm definitely going to watch the next season as well and see how it all comes together."[video_embed id='-1']MORE TV NEWS: Zoë Kravitz’s latest TV breakup really stings, and here’s how she’s fighting back [/video_embed]
