Matt Reeves Says The Penguin Isn’t Essential Viewing For The Batman Part II

Matt Reeves Says The Penguin Isn't Essential Viewing For The Batman Part II

As a long-time fan of Batman and his rogue gallery, I couldn’t be more thrilled about the new HBO Max series, The Penguin. Matt Reeves has done an outstanding job with The Batman, and it’s fantastic to see how he’s expanding the universe without making viewers feel like they need a PhD in Gotham lore to enjoy it.


In a departure from the interconnected universe of Matt Reeves’ The Batman, the upcoming spin-off series The Penguin can be enjoyed independently, regardless if you’ve watched the original movie or not. Similarly, viewers need not worry about catching up on the series to appreciate the sequel The Batman Part II. In today’s era of interconnected media, many fans yearn for self-contained stories that don’t require extensive viewing history. Despite planning multiple spin-offs from The Batman, director Matt Reeves ensures each project will stand independently without demanding prior knowledge or viewings.

In an interview with Collider, Reeves (who is also an executive producer on The Penguin) explained how closely the series connects to the broader Gotham universe established by The Batman. The story follows Oz Cobblepot (Colin Farrell), as he ruthlessly battles and manipulates his way to the top of Gotham’s criminal underworld, after the death of Carmine Falcone in The Batman. According to Reeves, viewers won’t need to re-watch The Batman before enjoying The Penguin, and conversely, they won’t need to be familiar with The Penguin before appreciating The Batman Part II when it comes out in theaters.

According to Matt Reeves, there’s a depth that grows with each viewing of the series. Yet, it was crucial for both Reeves and showrunner Lauren LeFranc that every episode in The Batman anthology could stand independently as its own tale. He went on to explain…

Each character in these series stands independently, meaning ‘The Batman’ doesn’t require any connection to other stories. Similarly, ‘The Penguin’ series is self-contained, and the same goes for ‘The Batman 2’. While your participation will enrich the story, you won’t need prior knowledge to follow along. The events in these stories don’t rely on having seen previous episodes or installments; instead, they provide a fresh starting point for each character’s journey.

Colin Farrell May Hang It Up After The Penguin

Matt Reeves Says The Penguin Isn't Essential Viewing For The Batman Part IIMatt Reeves Says The Penguin Isn't Essential Viewing For The Batman Part IIMatt Reeves Says The Penguin Isn't Essential Viewing For The Batman Part IIMatt Reeves Says The Penguin Isn't Essential Viewing For The Batman Part II

In his longing to reprise his role after a brief stint in “The Batman,” Colin Farrell gave birth to The Penguin character. Oz Cobb made only a few appearances in the film, sharing scenes with Robert Pattinson’s Batman. But now that Farrell has completed an entire season, it seems as though he is second-guessing his initial enthusiasm for donning the heavy prosthetics once more.

The actor talked about the possibility of reprising his role for another season, but given how he felt post-production, it might be the last chance for fans to see his incredible take on The Penguin.

Lauren asked, “If I could figure out something logical, would you discuss it with me?” To which I replied, “Definitely.” A year might pass before I do, but after our conversation ended, I thought to myself, “I have no desire to wear that suit and that headpiece ever again.

The show titled “The Penguin” debuts on both HBO and Max this coming Thursday, September 19th. New episodes are scheduled to drop every week thereafter.

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2024-09-17 18:31