Season 2 of Batwoman will introduce the mysterious Safiyah Sohail, but the villain won't be all that Alice has led us to believe.
Showrunner Caroline Dries spoke to TVLine about the introduction of the comic book villain after Alice teased her arrival back in Season 1. From what we've heard, Safiyah is ruthless, enough to put Alice on edge. But her introduction will prove she has many sides to her.
“Safiyah is more than a villain. She is surprising, she’s maternal, she’s one with nature… she’s gentle, she’s kind, she’s soft-spoken, she’s alluring and regal… and you’re just kind of drawn in to everything she says,” Dries said. “The idea of her being the big scary villain that Alice is afraid of in Season 1, it’s hard to reconcile that with the woman we meet in Episode 3.”
Safiya actor Shivaani Ghai previously teased the complicated nature of the villain. "She's not what we expected from Season 1," Ghai said. "She does come across as someone who is quite charming and kind. She has a definite soft spot for Alice. You will learn as we go on that there's definitely a much deeper relationship there."
As for the big bad's effect on Alice, Safiyah's arrival will further unmoor Gotham's current number one threat. "Their dynamic is amazing, because Alice is [normally] the strongest, most manipulative person in the room," Dries said earlier this month. "And when she's with Safiyah, she's a little deferential to Safiyah. It's a new dynamic and it's very intriguing to watch."
First appearing in Batwoman: Rebirth #1 in 2017, Safiyah was created by Marguerite Bennett, James Tynion IV and Steve Epting. She and Kate become lovers in the comics, but she eventually comes to Gotham as a villain, one hoping to use Alice to further her aims. In the comics, Safiyah has a history with Kate Kane before coming to Gotham and using Alice as a pawn in her plans for domination. The show will take a slightly different approach, with Safiyah keeping the connection to Alice but seemingly severing her source material ties to Kate. With so much unknown, however, we could learn that Safiyah had a hand in Kate's mysterious disappearance, potentially connecting her actions to her comic book counterpart.
Batwoman stars Javicia Leslie, Rachel Skarsten, Meagan Tandy, Camrus Johnson, Dougray Scott and Nicole Kang. New episodes air Sundays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.
Source: TVLine