Matt Reeves defends 'The Penguin's' 'Batman'-less approach

Fans eagerly awaiting Colin Farrell's return as Oswald Cobblepot in The Penguin, a spin-off series of the 2022 film The Batman, should not expect Robert Pattinson's Batman to appear.

Showrunner Lauren LeFranc explained to SFX magazine, "I understand why people's desire would be to have Batman or to think that unless Batman's in a show or a film then it doesn't have the same punch. To me, I think it packs a different punch."

LeFranc emphasised the different perspective of the series, saying, "Matt's films are through the lens of the Batman, so you're high up, looking down on the city. It's a different perspective. With Oz, you're in the city streets, you're in the grit and the muck and the grime. He's looking up, wanting to claw his way to the top."

LeFranc also described The Penguin as a “different experience,” adding, “I think Gotham is an interesting enough city that it deserves to have more doors unlocked within it, and for us to walk through those and see what we think.”

Matt Reeves, the executive producer of The Penguin series, aimed to alleviate fans' concerns, stating that he doesn't believe the show is lacking a crucial element, saying "I don't feel like it's missing something fundamental."

“I feel like it’s an extension of what is fundamentally there. We know this is the world of Batman,” the filmmaker added.

“You’re going down a different alley. So the spectre of Batman is there. The spectre of the Riddler is there. The spectre of everything that happens in the last movie is there. It informs it. And it’s exactly where we begin.” 

The highly anticipated series, The Penguin, is slated to debut on HBO and Max on September 19. Meanwhile,  Reeves is simultaneously developing the sequel to The Batman, scheduled for release in 2026.