'The Penguin' Showrunner Calls Series "A Scarface Story" & A "Bridge" Between 'Batman' Films

The extended break between “The Batman” and its sequel (now expected in 2026) has created a bit of a void for fans. Luckily, Warner Bros. is here with “The Penguin.” And according to the showrunner of the series, “The Penguin” is your perfect “bridge” project between Matt Reeves’ two ‘Batman’ films.

Speaking to EW, “The Penguin” showrunner Lauren LeFranc talked about her upcoming show, which is expected to arrive in September. As the title suggests, the show doesn’t feature Batman, but instead shines the spotlight on Oz Cobblepot (Colin Farrell), better known as The Penguin.” The series takes place a week after the events of “The Batman” and finds Oz at a point where he wants to fill a power vacuum in the Gotham underbelly. And according to LeFranc, the story that plays out is similar to a popular crime film.

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“It’s a ‘Scarface’ story,” LeFranc teased. “It’s a rise-to-power story of Oz before he really makes it to the top.”

She added, “We’re in Oz’s world. We’re living in the underbelly of the city. Oz is a mover and a shaker. He can’t always be trusted. He’s very smart and very methodical, but he’s also extremely impulsive. You can’t predict what he’s going to do.”

In addition to the series being a good old fashioned crime story, it serves as a bridge between “The Batman” and the sequel. In fact, if you watch “The Penguin,” you’ll be able to see the series begin to tease a little about what is to come in the much-anticipated film sequel.

“We are the bridge between the two films,” LeFranc said. “We’re going almost directly into the second film Matt has planned.”

As mentioned, “The Penguin” is expected to arrive on Max in September.