THE PENGUIN: Matt Reeves Talks Scrapped Batman Cameo And Confirms Season 2 Has Been Discussed

THE PENGUIN: Matt Reeves Talks Scrapped Batman Cameo And Confirms Season 2 Has Been Discussed

Filmmaker Matt Reeves shares details on scrapped plans for Batman in The Penguin while sharing new insights into how the series sets up The Batman Part II. He also confirms talks for a possible season 2...

By JoshWilding - Nov 11, 2024 11:11 AM EST
Filed Under: The Batman
Source: Entertainment Weekly

The Penguin wrapped up yesterday evening with a must-see finale that ended with a shot of the Bat-Signal shining in the distance. It was a great tease for The Batman Part II, making it clear that the Dark Knight will eventually cross paths with Oz Cobb again. 

In the series, Batman's absence was occasionally pretty distracting and, talking to Entertainment Weekly, executive producer Matt Reeves confirmed there were at least discussions about a cameo. 

"Over the course of writing the season, we discussed many times whether or not there might be some cross-through that would feel earned," the filmmaker explains. "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."

Among the ideas considered was a scene with Batman showing up in front of Vic, Oz's right-hand man. "But even that ended up throwing things off too much," Reeves admits. Showrunner Lauren LeFranc adds, "We wanted our characters to be the predominant people that you're following in this show. Anything that started to detract from that wasn't servicing the type of show we wanted to do."

While the Bat-Signal is as close as The Penguin gets to teasing Batman, LeFranc confirms it's there "to launch into Matt's second film. I 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.'"

Reeves elaborates on that point by saying, "We're kind of flicking you at the end to say the story's not over. The idea that Oz and these characters could be on a collision course at some point with Batman, that's of course out there. So we wanted to leave you with a sense of that without overshadowing that this is really the completion of the story."

The Penguin has been a critical and ratings hit for HBO, surely meaning the cable network will want to tell another story about Oz. While recent reports about a show revolving around Barry Keoghan's Joker have been debunked, Reeves admits "there's an urgency" from HBO about his plans for this saga and confirmed season 2 isn't off the table. 

"We are, in a very preliminary way — me, Lauren, [Reeves' producing partner] Dylan [Clark], and Colin — starting to talk about what would be the way," the director teases. "For me, what's really important is that we earn it. The idea of revisiting means that we have to keep that same bar. I know that none of us wants to go back and just do more. We want to go back and do something great."

As for what all this means for The Batman Part II, he notes, "We're leaving Oz and [Gotham] in a state where the city is still trying to heal itself from what happened. It's also a time, as you see [with] what goes on with Vic and Crown Point, where the city's deeply wounded. As we're entering the movie, all of that stuff is still broiling."

"The repercussions of what happened as a result of the last movie and what's happened during this gang war are very much the table setter for the way we enter into [The Batman Part II]."

That movie doesn't arrive in theaters until October 2, 2026, so we have a long time to wait before seeing where this story goes next. The Batman Part II had been set for an October 2025 release, of course, but was pushed back due to last year's strikes. 

Would you be down for a second season of The Penguin?

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Nomis929
Nomis929 - 11/11/2024, 11:44 AM
They made the right decisison.

Just having the Bat signal showing up in the night sky in the end was good enough.
Forthas
Forthas - 11/11/2024, 11:48 AM
Matt Reeves deserves so much credit. He has given me half of what I have always wanted from DC. Grounded character driven dramatic stories. While he should not go full comic book wacky, there is room for some fantastical elements that could be incorporated. Christopher Nolan was able to successfully weave that into his semi-realistic Batman world.
Doomsday8888
Doomsday8888 - 11/11/2024, 11:50 AM
Wise decision.
marvel72
marvel72 - 11/11/2024, 12:02 PM
Should have different villains for each limited series.

Hush
Court Of Owls
Mr.Freeze
MotherGooseUPus
MotherGooseUPus - 11/11/2024, 2:43 PM
@marvel72 - YESSSSSS please. that would be phenomenal
MCUKnight11
MCUKnight11 - 11/11/2024, 12:05 PM
At least in live action, best DC show.

ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 11/11/2024, 12:09 PM
Love that as Oz makes it the Bat Signal comes on. Here's hoping we get a Harvey Dent project next.
slickrickdesigns
slickrickdesigns - 11/11/2024, 12:14 PM
Just give me more Batman… less humanizing of Villainy.
asherman93
asherman93 - 11/11/2024, 3:17 PM
@slickrickdesigns - I mean, the show doesn't really "humanize" him in the sense of making him a character you feel was just a victim. It merely allows you to better understand him as a character... while not letting you forget WHY he's a monster.
TheJok3r
TheJok3r - 11/11/2024, 12:16 PM
I don't see Oz making it out of Batman II after all the evil shit he's done, so chances are a second season won't happen. Personally, I'd rather a Catwoman show that explores where she went following the 1st movie's conclusion.
asherman93
asherman93 - 11/11/2024, 12:31 PM
@TheJok3r - Alternately, a season 2 COULD happen... with the set-up being that he's been presumably beaten down by Batman during the next movie, and has to deal with being in either Blackgate or Arkham, his power stripped from him, and now having to figure out what the [frick] to do with himself now... besides dedicating everything he can to bringing down "Vengeance".
TheJok3r
TheJok3r - 11/11/2024, 1:03 PM
@asherman93 - Reeves confirmed that he's only making a trilogy of movies, so whatever the next show is, it'll be the last one leading into part III. I don't know if the creatives behind this franchise want to spend it on another Penguin series. We already saw him at his lowest in this series and the first movie, there's no need to revisit that again just with a different setting. Personally, I don't think he makes it out of the 2nd movie.
asherman93
asherman93 - 11/11/2024, 3:06 PM
@TheJok3r - Maybe a Catwoman show with Zoë Kravitz then? And possibly her and Sofia doing a girls' trip thing?
TheJok3r
TheJok3r - 11/11/2024, 3:09 PM
@asherman93 - There was a rumor about that years ago. I definitely think it's possible with her being out of Gotham.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 11/11/2024, 5:50 PM
@TheJok3r - HBO are pressing for more so we could even get a second show next year sometime.
TheRationalNerd
TheRationalNerd - 11/11/2024, 12:35 PM
,"I know that none of us wants to go back and just do more. We want to go back and do something great."

This is why I love Reeves. Take notes.
Fares
Fares - 11/11/2024, 12:37 PM
I seriously thought Batman was gonna show up to prevent Oz from shooting Sofia. But I'm pretty satisfied with how it went instead.
Sicario
Sicario - 11/11/2024, 12:40 PM
Not really a good decision to keep batman out, the fact of the matter is, batman as a vigilante, needs to know of the drop, needs to investigate. The fact that batman didn't make an appearance even after the explosion felt like a missed opportunity. How in the hell did batman not show up when a bomb exploded in gotham city? Look I didn't even like reeves' batman, I liked the series more than I liked batman, but the fact that he didn't show up when it's his city that's going through a crisis felt cheap.
MisterBones
MisterBones - 11/11/2024, 12:50 PM
I’d leave it alone. One season was enough. Explore another character
AnthonyVonGeek
AnthonyVonGeek - 11/11/2024, 2:43 PM
Great finale! Just when I thought Oz was getting weak and going soft while talking to Vic on the bench he did the unthinkable and…
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TheJester187
TheJester187 - 11/11/2024, 3:26 PM
Two Face Spinoff for sure! Hush will be the main villain mark it!

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