You may have been asking for too much if you wanted The Batman in a Gotham-set spinoff.
As we gear up for HBO’s The Penguin, set in the universe of Matt Reeves’ The Batman, writer and showrunner Lauren LeFranc revealed that Robert Pattinson’s Batman does not have a role in the series. However, the reason seems pretty admirable.
LeFranc breaks the news in a new story from 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,” says the showrunner.
“To me, I think it packs a different punch. 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 adds, “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.”
While it seems like Pattinson as the Caped Crusader is out for now, let’s see if the series will offer any teases in terms of post-credit or a wow-inducing final scene to set the stage for The Batman Part II in 2026.
Featuring in the cast of The Penguin are Colin Farrell (Oswald Cobblepot), Cristin Milioti (Sofia Falcone), Rhenzy Feliz (Victor Aguilar), Michael Kelly (Johnny Viti), Shohreh Aghdashloo (Nadia Maroni), Deirdre O’Connell (Francis Cobb), Clancy Brown (Salvatore Maroni), James Madio (Milos Grapa), Scott Cohen (Luca Falcone), Michael Zegen (Alberto Falcone), Carmen Ejogo (Eve Karlo), Theo Rossi (Dr. Julian Rush).
The Penguin is set to premiere on Max on September 19th.
