The addition of Ruby Rose to the CW's Arrowverse as Batwoman was the subject of much celebration last year, in terms of adding diversity to the network's roster of DC heroes by presenting its first openly queer series lead. But after a successful first season, Rose surprised audiences by announcing her departure from the series. In an interview with EW, the actress admitted that the toll taken on her body due to past injuries prompted her decision to leave.

"Being the lead of a superhero show is tough. Being the lead in anything is tough,. But I think, in that particular instance, it was a lot more difficult because I was still recovering from my surgery. I had my surgery and then 10 days later I went to work, which maybe wasn't the best idea. Most people take about a month or three off before they return to work, so it was definitely made more difficult by that. But as far as being a lead of a show or a film - regardless if it's action or if it's emotional - in whichever ways it's taxing."

Ruby Rose had made a name for herself as an action star well before she was cast as Batwoman, and the injuries sustained while working on past action fare was part of the reason why she found it difficult to continue with Batwoman past the first season. Another big reason, according to the actress, was the time for reflection afforded to her during the lockdown, which made Rose reassess her life goals.

"You know, you have time in quarantine and sort of isolation to just think about a lot of different things and what you want to achieve in life and what you want to do. I think for both [me and the producers], it was a great opportunity to have a dialogue about a lot of things. I respect them so much and they've been so respectful to me."

Still, despite her time with the show ending prematurely, Rose has plenty of positive memories of playing Kate Kane to look back on, and remains grateful that she was able to be a part of a cultural experience that meant so much to so many.

"I love my experience in [Batwoman]. I'm so grateful that we got to achieve everything that we did and I'm proud of everyone that worked on it. I'm proud of myself for working under sort of interesting circumstances, you know, with the recovery and all. I would definitely do [TV] again. I just think that it was also time for me to take a break to fully heal and then return."

Following Rose's exit, Javicia Leslie will be taking over as the lead of the show in the role of Ryan Wilder, a new character who will assume the mantle of Batwoman. While fans have some reservations about seeing the lead of the show abruptly replaced after a single season, Rose is looking forward to witnessing the fresh energy Leslie brings to the bat cowl.

"I think she definitely knows what she's doing and she seems fantastic. I think that honestly, I was so proud and so happy when I was told who would be replacing me. I'm just really stoked and I'm definitely going to watch the next season as well and see how it all comes together."

These quotes originated at Entertainment Weekly.