BATWOMAN TV Pilot Casts Rachel Skarsten as the Villainous Alice

Batwoman is about to have a bad family reunion.

Deadline has revealed that the CW pilot Batwoman, based on the DC Comics superhero, has cast Rachel Skarsten as Elizabeth "Beth" Kane, better known as the psychotic supervillain Alice.

According to the article, Alice is described as "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."

The pilot for the proposed series, starring Ruby Rose as Batwoman/Kate Kane, is written by writer Caroline Dries (The Vampire Diaries) and directed by David Nutter.  Armed with a passion for social justice and a flair for speaking her mind, Kate Kane 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, 33, is a Canadian actress best known as Dinah Lance on the WB series Birds of Prey, as Tamsin on the Syfy series Lost Girl, and as Elizabeth I on the CW series Reign.  She's also appeared in the movies Molly's Game and Fifty Shades of Grey, and on episodes of the TV series Wynonna Earp, Imposters, Transporter: The Series, Beauty and the Beast (2012), Flashpoint, and The Famous Jett Jackson.

Created in 2009 by Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III, Alice first appeared in Detective Comics (vol.1) #854 as Elizabeth "Beth" Kane, the twin sister of Kate Kane.  At the age of twelve, Beth Kane, her mother, and Kate were abducted by unknown assailants.  During their kidnapping, her mother was killed and the body of a child was found during Kate's rescue that was thought to be Beth.  It would later be revealed that the body belonged to an unidentified girl.

Years later, after Kate had become the superhero Batwoman, she investigated the new leader of the Religion of Crime, discovering almost everything about the new leader, except for who the mysteriously appointed heir was.  Batwoman confronted the supervillain Alice for the first time, just before her grand debut to the members of the cult.  Alice was subdued and taken to a rooftop for interrogation.  However, Alice avoided answering any questions by only communicating through speaking verses taken from the Lewis Carroll novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. This enraged Batwoman and the two struggled once more, with Alice getting the drop on the vigilante by producing a poisoned razor blade from her mouth and slashing her across the face with it.  Alice then attempted to stab Batwoman and made a lucky escape, leaving Batwoman fumbling through the woods while intoxicated and hallucinating from the poison.

A short time later, Alice called Batwoman on her father's phone to bait her with the hopes of killing her, as the Religion of Crime has always planned.  While on a jet, Colonel Jacob Kane, Batwoman's father, was threatened by Alice with a gun, but he recognized her as his daughter, Beth.  Alice quickly covered her face and turned away from him.  Batwoman soon boarded the aircraft, quickly took out Alice's forces, and freed her father.  Alice attempted to get rid of Batwoman by coming at her with a knife, then attacked her with a brief spray of hand gun bullets.  After a scuffle, Alice almost fell from the plane, but was saved by a grappling hook.  However, when Batwoman attempted to apprehend her, Alice fired bullets at Batwoman once again.  Batwoman was forced to tackle her, knocking them both from the jet's wing.  Batwoman managed to grab hold of both the wing and Alice before she fell.  Alice then produced a knife with her free hand, intent on stabbing Batwoman's arm to free herself.  Batwoman pleaded with her not to do it, knowing fall would kill her.  Alice then spoke normally for the first time, not in verse from Lewis Carroll, saying "You have our father's eyes."  She then stabbed Batwoman's arm, with the resulting pain forcing her to let Alice fall to the water below.

Later, Batwoman tested her blood against that of Alice's, to prove that she was in fact her sister, Beth Kane.  Kate believed that Alice/Beth Kane was dead as a result of the fall from the plane, but the police never recovered Beth's body.