Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for The Penguin episode 1The Penguinhas finally premiered on Max, a newDC Universeseries set in the aftermath of Matt Reeves’The Batman. However, viewers shouldn’t expect to see Robert Pattinson’s Dark Knight in the new series. This is largely due to the timeline of the show, some possible teases forThe Batman Part II, as well as an intentional focus on Colin Farrell’s Oswald “Oz” Cobb and his rise to power in Gotham’s underworld.
InThe Penguinepisode 1, Oswald “Oz” Cobb is ready to make some significant moves in Gotham, wanting to take advantage of the death of major crime boss Carmine Falcone, who was murdered inThe Batman. While one might expect Robert Pattinson’s Caped Crusader to appear in the wake of this major power vacuum, The Batman does not appear in this first episode.Likewise, there are some key reasons why The Batman won’t be appearing inThe Penguinat all.
The Batman Is Likely Cleaning Up Gotham After Riddler’s Attack
He Could Also Be Missing…
As seen duringThe Batman’sending, Paul Dano’s Riddler completely flooded the city during his attack, andThe Penguinreveals that the least well-off and more dangerous parts of Gotham were hit hardest. Combined with Carmine Falcone’s death, Gotham is in complete chaos and disarray, and news reports confirm “the city has reached a major boiling point”. While the news reports also mention Batman who helped save hundreds at Gotham Square Garden during the attack on mayor-elect Bella Reál, there are no further reports to indicate where Batman has been since.
The Penguin Show Cast & DC Character Guide
Set to release in 2024, The Penguin will continue to flesh out Matt Reeves' Gotham with Colin Farrell set to reprise his role as Oz Cobb.
One can imagine that Batman is likely doing all he can to get Gotham stabilized during the events ofThe Penguinwhich take place only a week after the flood. However,promotional materials forThe Penguinalso revealed Gotham newspaperswhich tease Batman may have gone completely missing from the public eye following Riddler’s attack. As such, theories have already begun cropping up, suggesting that perhaps Batman was taken by the secret cabal of Gotham’s elite known as the Court of Owls ahead ofThe Batman Part II.
The Penguin Creators Explained Why The Batman Doesn’t Appear
The Penguin Is Oz Cobb’s POV, Batman Has The Movies
Regardless of where Batman might be,The Penguin’screators have repeatedly confirmed that Batman will not be making an appearance in the new DC show. According toThe Penguin’sexecutive producer andThe Batman’sdirector Matt Reeves,“The movies are from Batman and Bruce’s point of view”.Conversely, series on Max such asThe Penguinuniquely allow for other POVs to be shown instead that otherwise wouldn’t receive as much time on the big screen.
Likewise,The Penguin’sshowrunner Lauren LeFranctoldScreen Rantthat producing a Gotham-set show without Batman was rather"liberating".She also confirmed that their overall goal was to create an entertaining enough show with Farrell’s Oz Cobb where “you don’t miss The Batman”.At any rate,it will be exciting to see ifThe Penguinwill feature any teases as to what Batman might be up to, even if he doesn’t show up on screen.
New episodes ofThe Penguinare set to stream Sunday nights on Max.
The Penguin
Cast
Created by Lauren LeFranc, The Penguin is a crime-drama spin-off television series of 2022’s film The Batman. Set shortly after the events of The Batman, Oz Cobb, A.K.A. the Penguin, begins his rise in the underworld of Gotham City as he contends with the daughter of his late boss, Carmine Falcone, for control of the crime family’s empire.
