Summary
The Penguinfinale set the stage for director Matt Reeves’The Batman Part2. However, Robert Pattinson’s Dark Knight didn’t appear as some fans expected, and Reeves explained why.
The Penguinconcluded with Colin Farrell’s Oswald “Oz” Cobb cementing his reign as Gotham City’s criminal kingpin after emerging the victor in a brutal gang war. The finale episode included nods toThe Batmanmoviewith a brief appearance by Jayme Lawson as Gotham City Mayor Bella Reál and a scene in which Cristin Milioti’s Sofia Falcone receives a letter fromZoë Kravitz’s Selina Kyle/ Catwoman. To the disappointment of some fans, the closest thing to an appearance by Batman was in the final shot, when the Bat Signal is shown lighting up the sky in the distance.
During an interview withEntertainment Weekly, Reeves, who serves as an executive producer on the HBO series, explained why Batman didn’t appear inThe Penguinseason 1 finale. As Reeves noted, there were discussions about how to bring Pattinson’s Batman on the show. However, none of those ideas moved past the ‘idea’ phase because they felt forced:
Over the course of writing the season, we discussed many times whether or not there might be some cross-through that would feel earned. […] We tried a few different ideas conceptually, nothing that was ever written ultimately, but nothing seemed to quite gel in a way that felt earned.
Reeves revealed that one idea they came up with was having Bruce Wayne appear with Oz’s right-hand man, Vic, but they scrapped that concept because they felt it was “throwing things off too much.“The Penguinshowrunner Lauren LeFranc added that they wanted viewers to focus onThe Penguin’s main characters and refrained from including anything that would “detract from that.” LeFranc did, however, wantThe Penguinto conclude with the Bat Signal to pave the way for Reeves’The Batman Part 2.
very much liked the idea of the Batman undercutting the strange, delusional scenario that Oz created for himself at the end, to merit all of his previous actions and to say, ‘I finally made it.’ And then for us to say, ‘Maybe not. Maybe you haven’t.’
Some fans may be disappointed byBatman’s absence inThe Penguin, but it may be for the best. Comic book movies and TV shows are often criticized for shoehorning cameos, as these are often seen as nothing more than forced attempts to promote separate projects from the same franchise.The Penguinhas been praised for its storytelling, and forcing Pattinson’s Batman into the show, even for a brief appearance, could have come across as a low point for an otherwise stellar series.
That said, it appears evenThe Penguinfinale scenes that seemingly set up storylines forThe Batman 2may not unfold how fans expect.The Penguinending for Sofia Falconemay seem like it will pay off inThe Batman 2, but Reeves never requested this particular conclusion for the character. Instead, LeFranc said it was up to Reeves to decide if he wanted to continue that story thread. So, fans must wait until May 31, 2025, to see Pattinson’s Batman on screen again, and to learn if and how Reeves plans to use Sofia Falcone.
The Penguinis available on Max.
The Penguin
Created by Lauren LeFranc and starring Colin Farrell, The Penguin builds on 2022’s The Batman. The Max series chronicles the eponymous villain’s attempt to reach Gotham’s criminal peak, rising through the underworld in the middle of a power struggle.
