Holy recasting, Batman!

In a surprise move that not even the world's greatest detective could see coming, actress Ruby Rose, who plays the title role on The CW's Batwoman, has decided to exit the series ahead of its second season.

“I have made the very difficult decision to not return to Batwoman next season," Rose said in a statement. "This was not a decision I made lightly as I have the utmost respect for the cast, crew and everyone involved with the show in both Vancouver and in Los Angeles. I am beyond appreciative to Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Caroline Dries for not only giving me this incredible opportunity but for welcoming me into the DC universe they have so beautifully created. Thank you Peter Roth and Mark Pedowitz and the teams at Warner Bros. and The CW who put so much into the show and always believed in me. Thank you to everyone who made season one a success—I am truly grateful.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, The CW, Warner Bros. TV and Berlanti Productions also released a joint statement on Rose's surprise departure:

"Warner Bros. Television, The CW and Berlanti Productions thank Ruby for her contributions to the success of our first season and wish her all the best. The studio and network are firmly committed to Batwoman’s second season and long-term future, and we—along with the show’s talented creative team—look forward to sharing its new direction, including the casting of a new lead actress and member of the LGBTQ community, in the coming months."

In 2018 it was announced that the Australian actress, who identifies as lesbian and genderfluid, would be suiting up as the masked heroine in The CW’s comic book adaptation.

As NewNowNext previously reported, Rose’s Batwoman, AKA Kate Kane—a character fans of the comics know is an out-and-proud lesbian—made her onscreen debut in a crossover special from The CW’s Arrowverse called “Elseworlds.” Her casting was announced with mixed reactions. While some fans were excited to see an openly queer woman cast in the role, others flooded Rose’s social media feeds with angry messages, stating that because she doesn’t specifically identify as a lesbian, she shouldn’t play a lesbian protagonist.

The backlash prompted the Orange Is the New Black actress to quit Twitter and limit commenting on her Instagram account.

“I can’t please everybody and some people will love it, some people will like it, some people will have thought I wouldn’t be good and might be impressed,” Rose told The New York Times. “Some people might be like, ’I still hate her!’ And that’s fine. That’s life. I’m not going to be on my deathbed one day like, ’I wish strangers on the internet that I never met liked me more.'”

“I’m going to be thinking, This is so awesome I got to play Batwoman for the first time, and no one else had played her,” Rose continued. “That’s my legacy and I’m going to own that.”

The second season of Batwoman is set to premiere in 2021.