EXCLUSIVE: Rachel Skarsten has been cast as a villainous lead opposite Ruby Rose in Batwoman, the CW’s groundbreaking drama pilot from Greg Berlanti’s Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros Television.

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Written by Caroline Dries and directed by David Nutter, Batwoman marks the first gay lead character of a live-action superhero series. Armed with a passion for social justice and a flair for speaking her mind, Kate Kane (Rose) soars onto the streets of Gotham as Batwoman, an out lesbian and highly trained street fighter primed to snuff out the failing city’s criminal resurgence.

Skarsten will play Alice. If Batwoman had a Joker, it would be Alice, the leader of her Lewis Carroll–inspired Wonderland Gang. Swinging unpredictably between maniacal and charming, Alice has made it her mission to undermine Gotham’s sense of security.

This marks a return to DC/WBTV for Skarsten — one of her first major roles was a lead, Dinah Lance, on the 2002 series Birds of Prey, which aired on the CW predecessor the WB. On the CW, she played Queen Elizabeth on Reign.

Skarsten recently recurred on Season 2 of Bravo’s Imposters and was a series regular on Syfy’s Lost Girl. She is repped by CAA and Dani De Lio at Creative Drive Artists.

Dries executive produces the Batwoman pilot alongside Nutter, Berlanti Prods’ Berlanti and Sarah Schechter as well as former DC Entertainment president Geoff Johns via his new Mad Ghost Productions banner.