Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for The Penguin episode 7.The Penguinset up an explosive finale, and the show has now given the perfect reason for Robert Pattinson’s Batman to appear. There was some doubt when Pattinson was first cast as Bruce Wayne. However, all of that disappeared after the actor showed he was one of thebest live-action versions of Batmanin director Matt Reeves’The Batman. TheDCmovie was so good that new DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran are expanding on it with a universe of projects,allowing Reeves' Batman franchise to be separate from the new DC Universe.
The first spinoff to come from Pattinson’s Batman debut isThe Penguin. The DC series follows the events ofThe Batman’s ending, showing the impact of Carmine Falcone’s death and the Gotham City flood unleashed by the Riddler. With Falcone dead, a battle for control of Gotham’s criminal underworld erupted. Returning fromThe Batmanis Colin Farrell’s Oz Cobb.The character will appear again inThe Batman’s sequel, with Matt Reeves having said thatThe Penguinbridges the gap between the first film andThe Batman - Part II’s story. However, Batman himself is not present inThe Penguin— so far.
Batman Has Been Conspicuously Absent From The Penguin So Far
The Dark Knight’s Whereabouts Are Unknown
Robert Pattinson has not appeared inThe Penguinas Bruce Wayne or Batman. As the HBO series is heavily focused on Gotham City’s criminal underworld, it makes sense that the hero would take a backseat, but not featuring him at all is odd. While Bruce Wayne might not have fit the direction of the series,Batman’s absence from the show has raised many questions. At first, the silent war that Oz Cobb had against the Falcones inThe Penguinwas enough to be ignored, but the chaos has since grown exponentially.
The Evidence Is Mounting That Robert Pattinson’s Batman Has Quit Gotham City
The Batman - Part II’s story has yet to be revealed; however, The Penguin makes it seem like Robert Pattinson’s Batman has left Gotham City.
Oz involved the Maronis, betrayed both crime families, and thrust Gotham into a major gang war. WhileThe Penguincould have said that Batman is out there stopping criminals and members of both gangs, there was no such reveal, even offscreen.Batman’s absence has become notable during major events inThe Penguin. While he could not interfere when Oz first killed Alberto Falcone, it made little sense for Batman not to show up when the entire Falcone family was murdered by Cristin Milioti’s Sofia Falcone. Salvatore Maroni breaking out of prison was another major event that called for Batman.
The Penguin’s Gotham Explosion Means Batman Can’t Stay Away Anymore
Gotham City Is In Chaos And It Needs The Batman
After missing major developments in Gotham’s gang war,The Penguin’s latest episode brings an event that could be what finally forces Batman to appear in the DC series.The Penguinepisode 7gave Oz a major win, as he faced Sal Maroni and saw the character die from a heart attack as they fought. While Oz was victorious, he did not get his mother back, as she was being kept by Sofia Gigante, and to cap things off,Sofia sent a major bomb that exploded Oz’s drug operation and nearly took his life.
While Robert Pattinson’s Batman might not have been around for the prior steps in the war between Oz Cobb and Sofia Falcone/Gigante,a bomb has now exploded in the heart of Gotham. After the bomb exploded, Oz went out of the sewer and saw the major damage it had done to Crown Point, with several dead or hurt and rubble everywhere. Surely, if Batman was still around, then the Dark Knight would have to go there and appear inThe Penguin’s final episode, helping those hurt and taking out those who set off the bomb.
Will Batman Appear In The Penguin’s Finale?
Matt Reeves Has Talked About Batman’s Absence
WhileThe Penguinepisode 7’s bomb is the perfect setup for the Dark Knight to show up in the finale,Batman is unlikely to appear inThe Penguin’s final episode. The reason for that is the character’s absence was already addressed byThe Batmanuniverse creator Matt Reeves. Speaking withSFX Magazine, Reeves said that he does not “feel like it’s missing something fundamental” by not having Batman appear inThe Penguin. The director also spoke about how Batman and Riddler’s actions inThe Batmanweigh on the show.
Theo Rossi
Dr. Julian Rush
The Penguinshowrunner Lauren LeFranc echoed that sentiment. According to the showrunner,The Penguinpacks a different punch by not having Batman, allowing itself to focus on Colin Farrell’s Oz Cobb “looking up, wanting to claw his way to the top.” While it makes sense thatThe Penguinteam did not want to have Batman appear and overshadow Oz, it seems like they will have some work to explain why Bruce is absent as a bomb tears a hole in Gotham.The Penguincould take a page from the comics and reveal that Batman was not in Gotham.
The Penguin
Cast
Created by Lauren LeFranc, The Penguin is a crime-drama spin-off television series of 2022’s film The Batman. Set shortly after the events of The Batman, Oz Cobb, A.K.A. the Penguin, begins his rise in the underworld of Gotham City as he contends with the daughter of his late boss, Carmine Falcone, for control of the crime family’s empire.
