As a cinephile with over three decades of movie-watching under my belt, I can confidently say that The Penguin has been one of the most intriguing and well-crafted spin-offs to grace our screens in recent years. Lauren LeFranc’s deft touch as showrunner has breathed new life into a beloved character, while subtly tying the series into the upcoming sequel, The Batman: Part II.
WARNING: The following contains MAJOR SPOILERS for The Penguin!
According to showrunner Lauren LeFranc of “The Penguin”, the illumination of the Bat-signal against the Gotham skyline in the final episode, titled “A Great or Little Thing”, is not merely a tribute to the Caped Crusader. Instead, it serves as a direct introduction to “The Batman: Part II”. In this climactic episode, Oz ascends to the peak of Gotham’s criminal underworld, adorning his classic black and white suit within his new hotel penthouse. However, just as a triumphant Oz is depicted, the iconic emblem of justice appears in the night sky. This is the closest viewers get to seeing Batman in “The Penguin”, but LeFranc explains that there’s a purpose behind this.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, showrunner Lauren LeFranc and executive producer Matt Reeves discussed how the show The Penguin would connect to The Batman: Part II and if it would continue for another season. LeFranc expressed her desire to set something up for Reeves’ film, saying, “Can I plant something for him? Is there something I can do to aid your movie?” She went on to mention that they had the opportunity to do this, with the intention being that The Penguin would lead into Matt’s second film from the start.
In “The Penguin” tale, it was fitting to show the Bat-signal as a means to connect the original story to its sequel, yet this move simultaneously undermined Oz Cobb’s individual triumph within the broader narrative of Gotham City. As LeFranc put it:
I found the concept of Batman undermining the bizarre, self-delusional narrative that Oz constructed for himself at the end, as a justification for all his past deeds and a way of saying, “I’ve finally succeeded.” However, it leaves us questioning, “Perhaps not. Perhaps you haven’t.” In simpler terms, I appreciated the idea of Batman revealing the falseness of Oz’s self-created triumph, implying that Oz may not have truly achieved his goal.
The Penguin Season 2 Is Now Being Cautiously Developed
During the interview, the duo was queried about the popular question after the end of “The Penguin”: will there be additional episodes? At the time this text was written, Season 2 has not been formally commissioned by HBO or any representatives from Warner Bros. Nevertheless, Matt Reeves hinted that they are engaging in initial discussions regarding where Oz’s narrative might progress in a potential second season.
Lauren, along with our partners Dylan [Clark] and myself [Colin], have begun discussing potential approaches for what we might do next.
If the series gets renewed, Matt Reeves emphasized that its comeback should be deserved and fit coherently within the broader narrative of his expansive crime drama. In other words, he suggested that any potential return should not only satisfy fans but also make sense in the larger context of the show’s storyline.
“For me, what’s really important is that we earn it. The idea of revisiting means that we have to keep that same bar. I know that none of us wants to go back and just do more. We want to go back and do something great. So that’s what we’re talking about now. We do believe that there’s going to be something in there, but it’s just beginning. It’s exciting though. It’s very gratifying.”
Indeed, everything hinges on the happenings of “The Batman: Part II”. As per co-writer Mattson Tomlin, the script has already been finished, and production for the sequel is slated to commence shortly. It remains undecided whether Oz will serve as the primary antagonist or simply play a secondary role in the upcoming film.
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2024-11-12 18:03