The Penguin’s Dr Julian Rush may secretly be another Batman villain

The Penguin Episode 2 gave us a glimpse of Sofia Falcone’s traumatic past in Arkham with Dr Julian Rush, and it’s left viewers convinced that he’s a Batman villain in disguise.

The world of The Batman, as envisioned by Matt Reeves, has already established a few differences from the comics. For example, The Riddler’s name isn’t Edward Nygma, it’s Edward Nashton. Instead of Oswald Cobblepot, The Penguin is called Oz Cobb.

HBO’s spinoff is already hiding a few secrets of its own, like a QR code that hints at an uprising (that may lead into The Batman 2), and the truth behind Sofia’s crimes as “the Hangman.”

Now, people are curious about Dr Julian Rush, his connections to DC, and the possibility that he could become a much bigger character after The Penguin.

Who is Dr Julian Rush?

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Dr Julian Rush, played by Theo Rossi, appears to be a former Arkham Asylum psychiatrist. When we meet him in The Penguin Episode 2, he’s helping Sofia with an unusual form of therapy.

At the start of the episode, we see Sofia shuffling into a visitation room to see Alberto. At first, it seems like a flashback, but it becomes clear it’s a frightening daydream: Alberto’s pinky is missing, and just as he swears to get her out, a hand emerges from the darkness holding a gun and shoots him.

Red lights start flashing above her, and she emerges from her dream in Julian’s office. As she’s having a panic attack, he turns off an electronic beam behind him with the same lights – it’s clearly a trigger, and he may be trying to get her to overcome her trauma.

“You’re not in Arkham anymore, you’re safe,” he tells her, and before she leaves, she says: “I’m not safe, I’m home.”

They have a strange dynamic. She seems comforted by him… at first, until she recoils at the level of physical contact and leaves.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Rossi teased: “My relationship is to Sofia Falcone, I’m with her… I am team Sofia all the way.”

He also said that he will “support her in being the worst human being possible.”

Julian Rush could be Hugo Strange… or Scarecrow

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Here’s the theory: Dr Julian Rush could be The Penguin’s version of Hugo Strange or Scarecrow. Unlike some predictions, there are decent reasons to believe this could be true.

Firstly, The Penguin (and The Batman) have already changed villains’ names and tinkered with comic backstories. What if Julian Rush is just an alias for Hugo Strange, or (not dissimilar to The Dark Knight Rises’ approach to Robin), he’s an original character that will take on the Scarecrow mantle in this version of Gotham?

That’s not all. Strange has been characterized as a psychiatrist who’s used Arkham’s inmates as guinea pigs for his unconventional, often dangerous methods. Rush deliberately triggering Sofia could be an early example of this.

As for Scarecrow (traditionally named Jonathan Crane), he’s usually written as a psychologist with a specific specialty: fear and finding frightening ways to evoke that feeling, usually via a hallucinogenic drug (as seen in The Dark Knight trilogy and Arkham Asylum games). Again, Rush’s red light activates a terrified response in Sofia – what if this is building up to the fear toxin?

“Julian Rush… Renamed Scarecrow?” one Reddit user speculated, while another wrote: “I thought for a second it was Hugo Strange.”

“The emphasis on the hypnosis device, and the rather horrific art piece on the office wall seem to indicate some twisted psychological aspect to his character,” a third added.

You can read our recap of The Penguin Episode 1, Episode 2, and Episode 3, discover Cristin Milioti’s forgotten role in The Sopranos, and find out more about why Oz Cobb limps.

You should also check out our list of the best superhero TV shows and our ranking of the best superhero movies.