Was The Batman never meant to appear in The Penguin? Showrunner Lauren LeFranc speaks on the Caped Crusader’s absence alongside a potential season 2.
The Penguin turned out to be one of the most exciting shows to ever come out of the DC Universe. It was filled with love, hate, and heartbreak. While fans are hopeful for a season 2, it also ended Oz’s story in a way that didn’t make it feel necessary. Truly, the one and only complaint most fans have with the show is that there was a surprising lack of The Batman‘s take on the Dark Knight.
Lauren LeFranc recently sat down with The Hollywood Reporter to reflect on The Penguin and the possibility of a season 2. Of course, the question arose of if there was any chance for The Batman himself to make an appearance in the series. Sadly, it seems as though Robert Pattinson was never seriously considered to appear in the series.
“Matt and I talked about it a lot. It just didn’t feel necessary. It felt like we’d be wrenching him in just to say we had The Batman in our show, when in reality, I feel like my goal at least was always to create rich enough, compelling characters that you weren’t desperate to see him, which I know is a tall order because so many people love Batman, and Rob Pattinson is so good as Batman.”
“But, yes, we were doing something a little different. We’re through the lens of Oz. We’re on the streets. There’s a gang war happening. We always would say, ‘Batman’s up high looking down on Gotham, and Oz is in the muck, wanting to get up there and to achieve a level of power.’ So, yes, we talked about it, but honestly, we just didn’t want to interfere with the story that we had.”
Is The Penguin Getting A Season 2?
Yet with Oz seemingly set to reunite with the Hammer of Justice heading into The Batman‘s long-awaited sequel, fans have been wondering what the future holds for the character. Sadly, it seems as though plans for the future don’t extend too far beyond the next film, as Lauren LeFranc confirms that there’s been no serious discussions about a season 2 of The Penguin.
“There’s no current status update. I think Matt just turned in his script (for The Batman Part II), so I’m excited to read that soon and see what comes of that — if there is anything there that merits a second season [of The Penguin] or not.”
“I think we’ve said this before, but I truly mean it: We have to feel confident we can top ourselves, and that’s something that’s really important to Colin Farrell and me, especially; otherwise, we don’t want to do something again if it’s not going to be excellent.”
“We were always meant to be a limited series. So, pivoting to a second season is just different — it’s not something we ever really talked about.”
Given how celebrated The Penguin was upon release, it makes sense that Lauren LeFranc and her team wouldn’t want to push out season 2 just to make the payday. With The Batman crime saga seemingly set to continue well into the future, it’s unclear where exactly Oz’s story will take him next. Though, one thing is for certain: it’ll be a bloody good time!
The Penguin is now streaming on HBO. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding Matt Reeves’ The Batman universe and make sure to stay tuned to our YouTube channel for more content.
