In the last sequence of The Penguin‘s finale, as Oz Cobb dances through his penthouse with Eve, the famous Bat Signal lights up the nighttime Gotham City sky. The image served as a reminder that the Dark Knight is still around to bring criminals like Oz to justice, but Batman never appears in the flesh on The Penguin. Though the series primarily focuses on Oz’s rise up the Gotham underworld and his dynamic with Sofia Gigante, it wouldn’t have been out of the ordinary for the World’s Greatest Detective to investigate some of the criminal activity going on. But there’s a good reason why he never showed up.
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In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, The Penguin showrunner Lauren LeFranc explained why Batman wasn’t included in The Penguin. The decision stemmed from a desire to not force him into the narrative and keep the focus on Oz’s journey. “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,” she said.
LeFranc continued, “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.”
The Penguin Didn’t Need Batman to Tell a Compelling Story
LeFranc previously explained the in-universe explanation for why Batman isn’t in The Penguin, sharing that Matt Reeves told her, “it’s a big city and Batman can’t be everywhere.” With these latest comments, LeFranc is shedding light on the creative thought process that went into the decision to not feature Batman on the show. The feeling was that Batman would be a distraction and take people out of the interesting narrative The Penguin was telling.
The goal of The Penguin was to flesh Oz Cobb out as a character, serving as connective tissue to the upcoming The Batman Part II. The series was designed to lead into the next film. Knowing that Pattinson’s Batman is returning in the big-screen sequel, Reeves and LeFranc realized there wasn’t a need for the Caped Crusader on The Penguin. Instead, the show could dedicate all its time to Oz, exploring him in ways not possible in the movies. In the films, Penguin is just one cog of a larger whole. On the show, the creative team had an opportunity to do a deep dive.
It’s hard to argue with the results. The Penguin earned a staggering 24 Emmy nominations, including a nod in the Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series category. Stars Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti received equal amounts of acclaim for their performances. If Batman had been shoehorned in, perhaps The Penguin wouldn’t have been as successful. An appearance by the Dark Knight would have run the risk of coming off as empty fan service, detracting from the compelling crime drama at the show’s core. After spending so much time in the Gotham underworld through the perspective of Oz (and Sofia), Batman popping up might’ve been jarring and derailed the very personal, intimate tale about one of Gotham’s most notorious villains.
If Reeves sees his plan out, Pattinson’s Batman will get two more movies to be further developed. The Penguin, for all its praise, may never get a second season. It was important (and the right call) to keep the show’s focus on Oz, setting the stage for his role in The Batman Part II.
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Image courtesy of Focus Features. -
Courtesy of Comedy Central
