Guggenheim on how Ruby Rose's Batwoman exit is a 'creative opportunity' for Season 2

Ruby Rose made quite a mark on the Arrowverse first as the groundbreakingly queer Batwoman and then for leaving that role before the show could begin production on its second season at The CW. New reports indicate that the actress departed the show because of the intense shooting schedule and life in the real-world location of the Arrowverse, Vancouver. That all resulted in an unhappy working environment and a split that has left the fandom shocked. But those at the top of the shared DC TV universe are looking forward — and even anticipating that all this hubbub is good marketing.

Speaking to Collider, Arrow and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow co-creator Marc Guggenheim (who also serves as an executive producer of Batwoman) explained that he's only feeling positive toward the change in star. The longtime comic writer — who is currently writing a script for a Jackpot movie — thinks the shift is both bittersweet and exciting.

"It’s funny, I think it’s both," the producer said. "I was talking to one of the Batwoman writers, the other day, and we were saying how, in this, is a great creative opportunity. I think there’ll be people who come to the show, quite frankly, just to see how the writers choose to handle this."

There's certainly been plenty of fans consuming news and details about Rose's departure, simply because it's a move that's precedents are few and far between. But that might just work in the show's favor, creatively.

"I’m a big believer that anytime you face a production challenge, and sometimes it’s in cast while sometimes it’s just logistics, in that challenge, lies a creative opportunity," said Guggenheim. "I was actually talking about that with [Arrow showrunner] Beth Schwartz, the other day. We were talking about how, once production resumes post the pandemic, how are we going to work with all these different limitations? And it’s the exact same thing, which is that, in those limitations and in those challenges lie the chance to do something new and different, and come up with a clever creative solution. That, to me, is the fun part of the job."

Their lead leaving the show in the midst of a pandemic probably didn't seem like "the fun part of the job" to the Batwoman team at first, but perhaps this is just the kick in the Batsuit they need to make their sophomore effort the best small-screen Gotham fans have ever gotten.

Batwoman's second season is still set to premiere next year on The CW.