Batwoman Season 2 Main Villain Is Black Mask | Screen Rant
In addition to featuring a new lead, Batwoman season 2 will have a new big bad straight from the pages of DC Comics: Black Mask. When season 1 of Batwoman concluded, fans had a pretty good idea of what the show's sophomore run would look like. Then, lead actress Ruby Rose announced she would be leaving the series, forcing a dramatic restructuring. Now, Batwoman will be led by Arrowverse newcomer Javicia Leslie, who will play Ryan Wilder. Rose's hero Kate Kane will have gone missing by the time Batwoman season 2 begins, leaving Ryan to pick up the mantle of Gotham's protector.
Even before Rose exited Batwoman, season 2 was set to include some notable antagonists. In addition to season 1's Alice (Rachel Skarsten), the finale featured the surprising reveal that Hush had take on Bruce Wayne's face (Warren Christie) with the intention of disrupting Kate's life. Alice and the false Bruce will still be on hand for Batwoman season 2, but they will also be joined by some bigger foes. Victor Zsasz will join the show, played by Alex Morf. The previously teased Safiyah Sohail (Shivaani Ghai) will finally make her arrival, and now the season's second overarching bad guy has been revealed.
In speaking to showrunner Caroline Dries, EW revealed Batwoman will feature Black Mask. The sadistic crime boss will pose a dangerous threat in season 2, as will his gang the False Face Society. Dries confirmed that "with the False Face Society, we will see the leader of this gang as Black Mask later on in the season." As the False Face Society circulates a new drug around Gotham called Snakebite, Ryan gets involved due to some personal matters in her past:
"While Ryan never used drugs, she was in a relationship where somebody was using drugs and it's ultimately what got Ryan put away in jail. So, it's this idea that Ryan is this innocent woman and if she were white, per se, she might not have had the same punishment [that] she, as an innocent Black woman, had to go through. That's a huge piece of her backstory, so that's something we're exploring this year," says Dries. "Batwoman has this particular vendetta against the False Face Society because the idea of drugs permeating the city and nobody taking any responsibility for it strikes at her core."
Batwoman's Black Mask has yet to be cast, so don't expect him to appear right away in season 2. Black Mask's Batwoman role comes on the heels of the character appearing for the first time on the big screen in Birds of Prey, where he was played by Ewan McGregor. McGregor's appearance was well-received by fans and critics, so Batwoman's Black Mask will have some big shoes to fill. It sounds like the series will take some time to hype up his arrival, with the focus initially being on the False Face Society. The group was already teased in the synopsis for the Batwoman season 2 premiere, so it won't be long before audiences see them in action.
The inclusion of Black Mask and the False Face Society seems like a smart move for Batwoman season 2. As Dries said, these villains symbolize a very personal conflict for Ryan, which should provide ample opportunity for further development of her character. Ryan is a brand new character, and Batwoman will have to work to establish her as a suitable replacement for Kate. By including a personal battle for her right away, viewers will be able to learn more about her quickly. It all kicks off next Sunday.
Batwoman season 2 premieres on the CW on Sunday, January 17.
Source: EW