Development on The CW's Batwoman pilot is well underway, and while a series order hasn't officially come down from the network, it appears all but assured the new Arrow-verse hero will get her own series. As for how a Batman-related series that likely won't be able to utilize The Dark Knight will look, executive producer Sarah Schechter recently spoke out, revealing the show will explore the idea of what Gotham City will be like after Batman is no longer around. She said the city will be very divided and noted:
It’s a post-Batman Gotham City. What is it like after these heroes leave?
Sarah Schechter elaborated on the look of Gotham City a bit further to and likened it to Johannesburg during the apartheid era. That is to say there will be a clear disparity between those who have the money to protect themselves, and those who are left for the various super criminals of the area to prey upon. So, Gotham City can actually be a quite livable place after all, provided one has the cash to keep the city's uglier side away.
Fans saw a bit of Gotham City in the Arrow-verse crossover "Elseworlds," and it seems to line up with Sarah Schechter's description. Crime was rampant, and the place was said to be a bit of a ghost town because of it. Hell, even Star City looked better in comparison, which is really saying something. Of course, Kate Kane is still kicking ass and taking names to make the area somewhat livable, but is that really enough?
That's the question Batwoman will seek to answer as Sarah Schechter added in her interview to The Wrap that Kate Kane is stepping up as Gotham City's defender after realizing Batman may not return after three years away. She'll go toe-to-toe with some of Gotham City's familiar villains, and some who mainstream audiences may not be as familiar with regardless of whether B-man shows up again or not.
But does that mean Batman will never appear on Batwoman? It's a question no one involved seems to want to answer at the moment, possibly because they don't know. In the crossover, Kate expressed an interest in wanting to know why Batman is missing, and The Flash dropped a clue that a version of Bruce Wayne could surface in the future. Fans shouldn't get their hopes up, but it's possible secret plans are being made for a future Batman appearance.
Sarah Schechter indicated Batwoman has plenty to focus on beyond that, of course, as its introducing a character that isn't as familiar to fans as heroes like The Flash or the Green Arrow. The Batman restriction allows Batwoman to build Gotham City around Kate Kane, who may have a different perspective than a brooding billionaire orphan. This allows for fresh stories, or at least fresh twists on classic arcs that can play out differently with a new defender of Gotham.
Batwoman doesn't have a definitive premiere date at this time, but CinemaBlend will keep an eye out for when The CW decides on a date to bring its newest Arrow-verse hero to audiences. For a look at some upcoming television show that do have arrival dates, visit and bookmark our midseason premiere guide.
