"Batwoman" Star Javicia Leslie on Her Groundbreaking Role and the Importance of Diversity on Television

With the sudden departure of series lead Ruby Rose last year, Batwoman was left with a major challenge. Recast? Rewrite? Reboot? The CW franchise went with none of the above. Instead, an entirely new character was created -- and actress Javicia Leslie fit the bill perfectly. She plays Ryan Wilder, a homeless teen who finds the Batwoman suit in the wreckage of Kate Kane's plane crash, forever changing her destiny. "I grew up watching movies based on comic books," Leslie laughed during a recent virtual press conference. "My brother was a huge comic book collector, so I dabbled with [them]. But for me, it really was the screen adaptations. When you're talking about anything Bat-related -- Batman, Batwoman, Batgirl, Robin, all of them -- I'm a huge fan.