Batman’s Absence From The Penguin Explained By Showrunner

Throughout its run on HBO last year, The Penguin proved itself to be every bit as good as the movie it spun off. The Batman was more action-packed, but The Penguin‘s exploration of an iconic villain, and Gotham City’s criminal underbelly, brought Matt Reeves’ franchise to even darker depths. The titular villain, played again by Colin Farrell, provided the connective tissue between the the movie and the series, but a large portion of fans were still disappointed when Robert Pattinson’s Batman didn’t also make an appearance.

With so much happening in an unwieldy Gotham City, and a gang war breaking out between the most powerful organized crime families around, many fans wondered why Batman wouldn’t show up to get involved. According to showrunner Lauren Lefranc, the answer is pretty simple: Gotham City is a big place, and Bruce Wayne is only one person.

“What Matt reiterated to me early on is that it’s a big city and Batman can’t be everywhere,” Lefranc told Empire Magazine. “He doesn’t have a Spidey-sense that tingles. But just because we don’t see Batman in our show doesn’t mean he’s unaware or uncaring.”

Based on what Lefranc said, it was Reeves’ call to not include Batman in The Penguin, as the Caped Crusader is dealing with other issues around Gotham. Remember, at the end of The Batman, Gotham City is thrown into absolute chaos by the actions of the Riddler. The bridges are destroyed, there’s widespread flooding around the city, and the lives of citizens are constantly in danger. There’s probably a lot going on that needs Batman’s attention.

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Honestly, it seems like Batman might have been letting Penguin do his work for him. As Lefranc indicated, Bruce was likely aware of at least some of what was unfolding. By letting it play out, and keeping his focus on other things that could directly help the citizens of Gotham City, he allows the criminal organizations to cannibalize each other. Where there were multiple crime lords in Gotham, now there’s only one, and Batman has plenty of history dealing with Penguin.

What we do know is that everything that transpired throughout the show will directly affect the story of The Batman Part II, which is hitting theaters on October 1, 2027.

“The events that have taken place in Gotham City, and the repercussions that come with them, will carry into the next film,” Lefranc confirmed.

All episodes of The Penguin are available to stream on Max.