Robert Pattinson’s Batman won’t be in The Penguin, but there’s a good reason why

HBO’s The Penguin is set to expand Matt Reeves’ Batman universe, but those who were hoping to see Robert Pattinson appear in cameo form will be disappointed.

Showrunner and writer Lauren LeFranc has confirmed that Pattinson’s take on the Caped Crusader won’t be appearing in the new TV show, and that fans will still have to wait until The Batman 2 to see him again.

However, there’s a good reason for his exclusion. The Penguin will take a deep dive into Gotham’s seedy underbelly, focusing on Oswald Cobblepot’s attempt to climb his way back up the ranks after the events of the first Batman movie in 2022.

As such, LeFranc has maintained that there’s no need for Bruce Wayne to be included at all. Speaking to SFX, LeFranc said: “I understand why people’s desire would be to have Batman, or to think that unless Batman’s in a show or a film then it doesn’t have the same punch. To me I think it packs a different punch.

“Matt’s films are through the lens of the Batman, so you’re high up, looking down on the city. It’s a different perspective. With Oz, you’re in the city streets, you’re in the grit and the muck and the grime. He’s looking up, wanting to claw his way to the top.

“I think Gotham is an interesting enough city that it deserves to have more doors unlocked within it, and for us to walk through those and see what we think.”

Reeves also agrees that Wayne isn’t a necessary addition, adding that the show is “an extension of what is fundamentally there.”

He continued: “We know this is the world of Batman. You’re going down a different alley. So the spectre of Batman is there. The spectre of the Riddler is there. The spectre of everything that happens in the last movie is there. It informs it. And it’s exactly where we begin.”

So, The Penguin is a superhero show without a superhero, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t fit into Reeves’ universe. The show will take place a week after the events of the movie, after Gotham was destroyed by mass flooding caused by the Riddler.

The fan expectations for seeing their newest Batman once again have been heightened in recent weeks thanks to the re-release of The Batman in theaters earlier this month. On social media, the film is being praised as one of the best superhero movies ever made – acclaim that only sets the bar even higher for The Penguin.

The Penguin will be released on Max on September 19, 2024.

Until then, check out our guides to the upcoming DC movies. You can also find out what’s going on with The Brave and the Bold, as well as Joker 2.