After the success of Matt Reeves’ The Batman, fans will be entering the world of Gotham again with the DC series The Penguin. Starring Colin Farrel in the lead role, reprising his part from the original film, the series is reportedly a rags-to-riches story and is set one week after the events of The Batman.
However, The Penguin team confirmed that Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne will not be making a cameo in the show. Despite being set in the same universe and at a time when he has already made his appearance, showrunner Lauren LeFranc mentioned that the show’s perspective is different from the Matt Reeves films and hence, Pattinson would not appear.
Why Isn’t The Batman’s Robert Pattinson Making A Cameo In Colin Farrel’s The Penguin?
After Ben Affleck stepped down from the role of Bruce Wayne, Robert Pattinson was chosen as the new Batman in Matt Reeves’ Elseworld story The Batman. While the actor’s casting was initially met with resistance from fans, the actor proved himself to be a worthy addition to live-action Batman iterations with the 2022 film.
The film was also extremely successful and a sequel is in the works, set apart from the main continuity of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU. The bridge between the two films will be the upcoming spinoff series The Penguin. With Colin Farrell reprising his role from The Batman, the show is set to see the Penguin’s rise in power in Gotham.
However, one new update from the team might be disappointing for fans. Showrunner Lauren LeFranc confirmed to SFX Magazine (via Games Radar) that Robert Pattinson would not be returning for a cameo in the series. She said,
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.
While LeFranc understood why fans wanted a glimpse of the caped crusader, she mentioned that Gotham from the ground level would be a different experience.
Colin Farrell’s The Penguin Series Is A Scarface-like Story
While Matt Reeves’ The Batman saw Colin Farrell’s Oswald Cobblepot as second-in-command to Carmine Falcone, the end of the film hinted at a change in hierarchy. The show will reportedly begin one week after the events of The Batman and its consequences on the crime world of Gotham.
Showrunner Lauren LeFranc mentioned to Empire that the series would be a rags-to-riches story like Scarface, with Colin Farrell’s Penguin being at the center. She said,
Matt [Reeves came up] with this Scarface story – a rise to power. I turned it into a psychological character study of this man. Mobsters historically are larger than life, so there is that slightly elevated quality to it, but he’s just a man. A very complicated man.
LeFranc also mentioned that unlike previous iterations of Cobblepot who comes from a wealthy family, Farrell’s version would come from more humble beginnings.
The Penguin is set to stream on Max on September 19.
