Despite reliable sources claiming that The Batman star Robert Pattinson would make an appearance as the Dark Knight in The Penguin, Gotham's Caped Crusader was nowhere to be seen. The closest we came to a hint that Batman was at least starting to view Oz Cobb as a problem was the finale's closing shot of the Bat-signal illuminating the night sky.
Showrunner Lauren LeFranc has already confirmed that she had early discussions with Matt Reeves about bringing Pattinson in for a cameo, and has now further explained why they ultimately decided against it.
"Matt and I talked about it a lot. It just didn’t feel necessary," LeFranc tells THR. "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."
Could Pattinson's Dark Knight show up in season 2? It's certainly possible, but LeFranc also makes it clear that there are still no plans in place for a second season, and even if there were, we wouldn't see it until after The Batman - Part II hits theaters in 2027.
"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."
Finally, LeFranc addresses that Selina Kyle/Catwoman tease from the final episode, with the incarcerated Sofia Falcone receiving a letter from the half-sister she never knew she had.
"From my perspective, it’s about Sofia’s emotional arc as a character, that the whole season is about the fact that her family has betrayed her. She’s trying to reach out. She’s trying to figure herself out in this family, and she ultimately realizes she’s very alone. And, obviously, she then dramatically murders most of them, but she has this tension and this pain mixed up in her. And she goes to see Gia, her little cousin, in this children’s home that is very reminiscent of Arkham Asylum in a lot of ways. And she leaves her there because that’s what Sofia would do. So you understand that her as a character, she has a lot of complex feelings regarding family, and any sort of maternal or not-maternal feelings she has. So, by the end — when Oz quote-unquote wins and he sentences her to a deeper form of hell than death by bringing her back to Arkham — she’s all alone now, and she’s lost, and it’s heartbreaking, and it felt really important to me to give her a semblance of hope."
While this wasn't specifically setting up a future Catwoman appearance, one would assume the plot point will be revisited in The Batman sequel - if Kyle returns, that is. A recent rumor claimed that Zoë Kravitz may not be reprising her role, although we'd say this was most likely an attempt to limit The Batman-related questions during the actress' Caught Stealing press tour.
The Penguin also stars 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), and Theo Rossi (Dr. Julian Rush).
The eight-episode DC Studios drama series continues The Batman epic crime saga that filmmaker Matt Reeves began with Warner Bros. Pictures’ global blockbuster The Batman, and centers on the character played by Farrell in the film.
The series is executive produced by Matt Reeves, Dylan Clark, Colin Farrell, Lauren LeFranc, who writes and serves as showrunner, Craig Zobel, who directs the first three episodes, and Bill Carraro. Based on characters created for DC by Bob Kane with Bill Finger, the show is produced by Reeves’ 6th & Idaho Productions and Dylan Clark Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, where Reeves and 6th & Idaho are under an overall deal. Daniel Pipski also serves as executive producer.