CWRuby Rose is ready. She's ready to kick butt—and then some in Batwoman, The CW's latest superhero drama.
"I'm just like this is the best job I've ever done," Rose told E! News at The CW's 2019 upfront presentation.
Rose made her debut as the titular character in a crossover between The Flash, Arrow and Supergirl, and will take flight (or swing from buildings) in her own series this fall on The CW. It's the first series about an out gay superhero character with an out actor wearing the cape.
"It's enormous. I think I didn't realize when I auditioned and when I went in for meetings and when I auditioned again and then I came back from China and had the final—I'm like, ‘Oh my goodness, I'm just exhausted. I don't even know if I can go into this audition right now.' And I did, thank god. And when I got the role, I was so happy because I love the idea of it," Rose said.
"I love the comics, I had done research, I love Caroline [Dries] I love Greg Berlanti and Sarah [Schechter]. So, I was really excited, as a job, as I would be with any role, but it wasn't until, I think, everyone was talking about it, and everyone was asking me about it, and my friends with kids were like, ‘Oh my god, they're going to dress up like Batwoman,' and then I realized how big it was," she continued.
It really hit home once she got the suit on the pilot script.
"It was kind of funny, because it was like, oh, I've never done a pilot, that's interesting. You don't know whether it gets picked up, this is new, I've only ever gone into shows that were preexisting, or films that are definitely being made. So, I was like, that's OK. If it happens, it happens. I was very, like, I just want to have fun and do my job," she said. But when she actually started production, things changed.
"We were all, like, panicked. Like, ‘Wait. What if this doesn't get picked up?' Now, we're so invested, and I'm so invested in Kate and I'm so invested in the whole cast, I'm invested in living in Vancouver now. I was all in, you know? I guess you have to be. And then there's that risk, that vulnerability of, ‘Oh my goodness, what if no one ever sees what we just made for the past month?' Because it felt to us really amazing and special, so I think we all felt a sigh of relief when they were like, ‘It's getting picked up,'" Rose said.
Rose said there are "so many reasons" why now is the right time for Batwoman.
"Without getting too into it, I think it's so relevant to now. We are telling such real stories, such grounded stories. We have such a beautiful, diverse cast. We have the relationships within the cast, or characters rather—and in real life—the arcs are so true and layered and difficult and tricky in some instances and beautiful in other instances. But they're complicated and they're real...I think that's one of the things that is really important to see, not just like a flawless perfect superhero—which doesn't exist anyway—but I mean the idea of that. It's a little tricky, and I was exhausted emotionally. There were days where I would come home—and it wasn't because I was doing stunts—it's because I was crying or it was emotionally involved in some backstory stuff or watching other people in their scenes. It's very heavy and it's very light, but it's entertainment first and foremost. There's a lot in there that I think viewers can watch at any age group and find people to identify with and get solace out of that or inspiration or just feel like they're not the only person that's like that and that's super important."
Expect plenty of butt-kicking, but there's also a lot of emotional beats in the series. The action picks up and Batman is gone. Jacob Kane (Dougray Scott) and his private security firm is brought in to help keep the peace in Gotham City, but quickly becomes a target of the Alice in Wonderland gang. Enter Kate Kane. And Batwoman.
"There's a lot of human elements that are just really beautiful. Like, I've kicked some butt before, but this is like kicking butt with purpose, which I'm a big fan of," she said.
The character of Kate Kane was around before Ruby Rose and she'll be around after Ruby Rose.
"This is a legacy—I'm just one part of this, but definitely I'm productive of my character, my Kate Kane. There's going to be other Kate Kanes in other places…but Batwoman on The CW, that's my baby," she said. "I'm protective of the cast, I'm like a mom. It's definitely changed my life and we've only shot a pilot."
Take a look at the trailer above for a preview of Batwoman. The series will air Sundays at 9 p.m. on The CW this fall.