Batwoman’s Batman Actor Has Already Appeared In The Arrowverse

Batwoman has finally introduced its version of Bruce Wayne, played by Warren Christie – an actor who has already appeared in the Arrowverse before. The shadow of Batman has long loomed over the Arrowverse, but it’s been three years since he was last seen in Gotham. Without Batman, the fabric of Gotham’s society began to fray, and the city’s residents only began to hope again when Kate Kane suited up as Batwoman.

The disappearance of Batman has turned into the Arrowverse’s great mysteries. While it remains unsolved, the Batwoman season 1 finale saw the Arrowverse cast its Batman – after a fashion. Alice finally gave Hush his greatest desire, grafting a new face on to his skin; the face of Bruce Wayne, played by actor Warren Christie (The Resident, Chicago Fire).

This was a somewhat surprising casting decision, given Christie has actually appeared in the Arrowverse before. He played neurosurgeon Carter Bowen in the Arrow season 1 episode “Legacies.” Carter Bowen was a schoolfriend of Oliver Queen, Laurel Lance, and Tommy Merlyn; Moira Queen considered him “the perfect son,” much to the irritation of Oliver and his sister Thea. Years later, Carter attempted to ingratiate himself into the Queen family once again, most likely because he was hungry for fame. The scale of his failure is perfectly demonstrated by the fact he only appeared in the one episode.

From an out-of-universe perspective, Warren Christie’s previous role in the Arrowverse was so minor there was no real reason not to use the actor again. In-universe, however, the most likely reason is the Multiversal reboot triggered by Oliver Queen in Crisis on Infinite Earths, which has clearly had a marked impact on Batman’s life; the Dark Knight’s greatest weakness is now Kryptonite, an extraterrestrial mineral that didn’t exist on Earth-1 until several different Earths were merged. Presumably Oliver Queen’s edits to reality removed Carter Bowen from history, and created a new Bruce Wayne – perhaps one from another Earth – who had his face. It’s a convenient explanation, given the Arrowverse is clearly never going to bother with Carter Bowen again.

There’s a sense in which this kind of minor casting problem is becoming inevitable, just because the Arrowverse has lasted so long and grown so expansive. Still, Crisis on Infinite Earths provides a neat explanation for any of the less significant continuity problems created by actors doubling up. In this case, the Arrowverse has its own Bruce Wayne – even if he’s actually an impersonator, rather than the real deal. It’s surely only a matter of time before Batman himself makes his appearance in Batwoman.

About The Author

Thomas Bacon
(4894 Articles Published)

See also  Stop Making Final Fantasy Tactics Clones & Just Make FF Tactics Again

Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers, as well as a Peer Mentor for new writers and a member of the Care Team, offering support and a listening ear to members of the Comics group. A lifelong fan of major franchises including Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Marvel, Tom is delighted his childhood is back – and this time it’s cool. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon.

A graduate of Edge Hill University, Tom remains strongly connected with his alma mater as a volunteer chaplain. He’s heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he’s into British politics too.

More From Thomas Bacon