Unfortunately, Batman won’t appear in The Penguin on Max

We’re less than three weeks away from the Max premier of The Penguin. The show was going to premiere in November of 2022. Due to unforeseen events, the debut was pushed to September 19, 2024. 

The photos from the mini-series and trailer showed that The Batman spin-off has a lot of promise. Colin Farrell still looks great as Oswald Cobblepot and Cristin Milioti looks scary and deranged as Sofia Falcone. They’re only two of the cast members who’ve been highlighted. Unfortunately, there’s one character that won’t make an appearance. Fans won’t see Robert Pattinson’s Batman during The Penguin.

"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. -Lauren LeFranc

During an interview with SFX magazine, showrunner and writer Lauren LeFranc said, “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.” Not only is this a bold move, but it’s brilliant too.

Do people want to see Batman in The Penguin? Of course. We want to know what he’s been up to and how he’s reacting to Carmine Falcone’s death and Oswald’s rise. However, Lauren LeFranc understands something others don’t. Gotham City is more than Batman. As she puts it, “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.”

Does this mean Batman won’t show up? It doesn’t. People lie or omit things so people are surprised when something happens. Imagine people’s reaction if Batman shows up in The Penguin, even for a second. It would break the internet.

As much as everyone would love to see the Dark Knight, I hope he doesn’t appear. The Penguin could be the project that brings more focus to the other parts of Gotham City. Sofia Falcone, Red Hood, and Huntress are only examples of Batman characters that could have mini or ongoing series if The Penguin triumphs. Gotham on  Fox and Batwoman on the CW may not have worked, but that doesn’t mean they can’t succeed on a different platform.

Stay tuned to Caped Crusades to see what's next in the world of The Batman.

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