The Penguin divides fans after revealing you need to watch it before The Batman 2

The Penguin might be the next Batman project coming our way before The Batman 2, but fans are split upon hearing that it might actually be required viewing before the Matt Reeves sequel.

With The Batman pleasing many fans of the caped crusader, The Penguin series might have seemed like a simple placeholder. But according to showrunner Lauren LeFranc, it sounds as though the two DC projects are more connected than initially thought.

Set for release in September 2024, The Penguin takes place a week after the events of 2022’s The Batman. The show will then end directly before the events of The Batman 2, meaning it forms a heavy link between the two superhero movies.

“We are the bridge between the two films,” LeFranc told Entertainment Weekly. “We’re going almost directly into the second film Matt has planned.”

If that’s the case, then it would be worth any fan’s time to sit down and watch the TV show in its entirety to fully appreciate the new movie when it arrives.

This seems like a page out of Marvel’s playbook, as the Marvel movies have become notorious for their connections to other MCU movies and TV shows.

This move has received a range of responses from fans, who are split between loving the idea of a wider Batman universe, and wishing everything would stand on its own.

“This is interesting. I wonder if there will be much passage of time over the course of this series, or if The Batman Part II will take place just weeks after the first. I’m going to guess this series just takes place during a good amount of time,” said one X user.

Another wrote: “That’s already a downside for me. Can’t I just watch The Batman 2 without this series? The reason why I stopped watching MCU movies and now DC is going the same way. The Batman was a fantastic movie, but atm I’m not sure I want to watch the sequel.”

“Oh thanks, I hate it,” one comment said. “I don’t mind the idea of the TV show. But you’re saying it leads into Batman 2, hate that, hate having to watch a show to understand a movie.”

One user argued that it was a good thing, writing: “At last, DC films are becoming serious competition for Marvel.”

“I LOVE WHEN SPIN OFF SHOWS TAKE PLACE IN BETWEEN INSTALLMENTS OF THE MAIN STORYLIIIIINNNNNNEE!!!!!” another agreed.

For more, check out our guide to all the best superhero TV shows you can watch now. We’ve also got a guide to Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and Joker 2.

If that’s not enough, here’s our ranking of all the major Batman movies, so you can see where Reeves’ Gotham tale lands.