Gotham’s newest hero faces off with Victor Zsasz in a new image from Batwoman season 2. The most recent addition to the CW’s Arrowverse, Batwoman, originally starred Ruby Rose as Kate Kane. When Rose exited the series in May 2020, showrunner Caroline Dries decided to create a new character to inherit the title rather than recast Kate Kane. Actress Javica Leslie signed on as Ryan Wilder, a new version of the hero.
Victor Zsasz was introduced in the Batman comics as one of the Caped Crusader’s many antagonists back in the 90s. A bloodthirsty killer, Zsasz is known for carving tally marks into his skin for each of his kills. The character has appeared as a minor character in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins (played by Tim Booth) and as a villain in Fox’s Gotham TV series (played by Barry’s Anthony Carrigan). Chris Messina recently portrayed him in the 2020 film Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn).
The fearsome assassin will make his Arrowverse debut in Batwoman season 2. Played by Alex Morf (who also appeared as a mobster on Gotham), this Zsasz is described as “a charismatic, skilled hitman with high, unpredictable energy. He proudly carves tally marks onto his skin for every victim he kills.” In a new image published by Entertainment Weekly, Leslie’s Batwoman is locked in battle with the dangerous murderer as he flashes his knives.
Ryan Wilder will have no shortage of villains to fight in her debut as Gotham’s new hero. Besides Zsasz, she’s set to inherit antagonists Alice (Rachel Skarsten) and Hush (Warren Christie) from Kate Kane. Season 2 has also promised the introduction of Safiyah Sohail (Shivaani Ghai), a previously unseen villain connected to Alice, and Black Mask, the leader of a gang called the False Face Society. Despite being brand new to superhero-ing, the new Batwoman already has a full rogue’s gallery ready to go.
Some might argue that introducing this many villains into the mix would be overwhelming for anyone season of television, let alone a season that also has to function as a soft reboot of the series around a new lead character. However, dealing with several threats at once — some from Kate Kane’s past and some unique to Ryan Wilder — throws the new hero into the deep end in a way that’s potentially very exciting to watch.
Additionally, when it comes to Victor Zsasz, he doesn’t tend to be the standalone “big bad.” When we’ve seen him on screen before, he’s usually working for an even bigger bad, like the crimelord Carmine Falcone. In Birds of Prey, he was the henchman of Ewan McGregor’s Black Mask. Considering that Batwoman season 2 also features Zsasz and Black Mask, it’s not a stretch to imagine they might be working together. Safiyah Sohail also seems to have assassins at her disposal, so perhaps he works under her employ. Whatever the case, it will be interesting to see the notorious killer cross paths with Leslie’s inexperienced hero. Batwoman season 2 premieres on January 17, 2021.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
Originally from https://screenrant.com/batwoman-season-2-image-victor-zsasz-arrowverse/