Ruby Rose set to star as lesbian superhero Batwoman for The CW

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Ruby Rose to play first openly gay superhero in 'Batwoman'

Actress and model Ruby Rose has been cast as Batwoman in a new series for the CW. She will play the first openly gay superhero lead in a television show.

Following the announcement that The CW will add Batwoman to its collection of DC Comics superhero TV shows, Ruby Rose has been confirmed to play the first openly gay superhero to headline a TV series.

Batwoman will be introduced in December during The CW's annual crossover between its existing DC Comics shows, "Arrow," "The Flash" and "Supergirl."

While only the main trio will make up this year's crossover event, the series all share a single, connected TV universe that also includes "Legends of Tomorrow" and "Black Lightning."

Those shows feature many LGBT characters, but Rose's Batwoman will be the first to lead a series.

A stand-alone series about Batwoman, whose "real" name is Kate Kane, is in development for the 2019-20 season. Kane is described as a highly trained street fighter with a passion for social justice and a flair for speaking her mind.

Rose who is a member of the LGBT community herself, took to Instagram on Tuesday to both confirm the news and share what it means to her to showcase this kind of representation on TV.

"The Bat is out of the bag and I am beyond thrilled and honored. I'm also an emotional wreck." she wrote in the caption to a photo of her by an illustration of Batwoman. "Because this is a childhood dream. This is something I would have died to have seen on TV when I was a young member of the LGBT community who never felt represented on tv and felt alone and different. Thank you everyone. Thank you god."

Rose gained stardom when she was cast in Season 3 of Netflix's "Orange is the New Black." From there she had roles in films like "XXX" Return of Xander Cage" and "John Wick: Chapter 2."

According to the character's bio from DC Comics, Kate Kane is a former student in the United States Military Academy. Despite being an exemplary student, she was dismissed from the school for being gay. After going down a dark personal spiral, Batman takes her under his wing and she uses her military training to become a formidable crime fighter in the fictional Gotham City.

However, The CW president Mark Pedowitz recently confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that despite his name being referenced in other shows in the connected universe, there are no plans to introduce Batman. As a result, the TV Kate Kane's origin will likely be tweaked before her debut in December.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.