We’ve seen quite a bit of footage of the upcoming HBO series, “The Penguin.” Nowhere in any of the footage is there an appearance by Robert Pattinson, aka Batman. And don’t expect there to be, as the people responsible for the series are telling us right now to not get our hopes up for an appearance by the Caped Crusader.
Speaking to SFX, “The Penguin” masterminds, Matt Reeves and Lauren LeFranc, are opening up about why they decided to not include an appearance by Batman in their new crime series. They actually don’t believe Batman needs to show up, and there are good reasons why.
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“To me I think it packs a different punch,” said LeFranc. “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.”
She added, “So it’s a different experience. 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.”
For Reeves, he doesn’t believe the series requires an appearance by Batman. The world is already so informed by the existence of the character, just living in the world and watching it through the eyes of Oz Cobb, aka the Penguin, is enough. Reeves thinks we can get enough Batman just by visiting Gotham.
“I don’t feel like it’s missing something fundamental,” said Matt Reeves. “I feel like it’s an extension of what is fundamentally there. We know this is the world of Batman. You’re going down a different alley. So the specter of Batman is there. The specter of the Riddler is there. The specter of everything that happens in the last movie is there. It informs it. And it’s exactly where we begin.”
So, if you were only interested in “The Penguin” because you wanted to see Pattinson put on the cowl and cape again, you’re going to be disappointed. But if you were hoping to see a new angle on Gotham, through the rise of Oz Cobb through the criminal underworld, then “The Penguin” is probably going to be a good time for you.
“The Penguin” debuts on HBO and Max on September 19.