The Batman's Matt Reeves Reveals Why Arkham Asylum and Gotham PD Spin-Offs Were Cancelled
HBO executives want to "lean harder" into Batman's marquee characters.
The Caped Crusader corner of the DC Universe is just beginning. 2022's The Batman marked the beginning of a new era for DC's most iconic character, as the Robert Pattinson-led film existed in its own, newly-created world, the first time that Batman had not been intertwined to a larger cinematic universe since 2012's The Dark Knight Rises. That said, the events of The Batman teased that the standalone film was building its own. After a successful run at the box office, director Matt Reeves and company revealed that a theatrical sequel, as well as multiple spin-off projects for streaming, were in the works.
Matt Reeves Addresses Arkham, Gotham PD Cancellations
Not all of those developing spin-offs got the green light.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, The Batman director Matt Reeves opened up about the development process of his growing franchise's spin-offs.
"As we were writing the movie [The Batman], I was like, 'Hey, you know what? I think there are some cool shows that we could do," Reeves recalled. "It was actually why I wanted to make our deal at Warner Bros."
Reeves is alluding to his first-look deal with Warner Bros. and Warner Bros. Television, a contract he solidified just a couple of months after The Batman ended its theatrical run. As it goes, HBO executives were fond of Reeves's concepts, but they made one aspect apparent.
"They were like, 'We like what you're doing, and we want to lean harder into the marquee characters,'" Reeves added.
At the time, Reeves and company were developing three spin-offs: Arkham Asylum, Gotham PD, and The Penguin. While Arkham Asylum and Gotham PD got the axe, threads of their stories found their way into what The Penguin ultimately became.
No time was wasted on developing The Penguin, as early drafts for the Colin Farrell-led series were being circulated in Fall 2021, months before The Batman hit theaters. HBO ordered the series almost immediately after The Batman was released.
"What's interesting is that, in the movie, the big red herring of the story is it seems like the person they're looking for, that the Riddler's pointing to must be the Penguin, some kind of informant," Reeves teased The Penguin's story. "This movie creates a power vacuum, and because Penguin is so underestimated, people don't really see who he is."
The Penguin premieres on Max on September 8th. The Batman Part II is expected to go into production in 2025.
