With the new Max series The Penguin set to premiere soon, fans of the DC universe are curious about how the show will connect to The Batman and its much-awaited sequel, The Batman Part II.
In an interview with Collider’s Steve Weintraub, director, producer, and writer Matt Reeves explained what fans can expect when it comes to the connections between the movies and the upcoming series.
Reeves shared that while The Penguin is a direct spin-off from The Batman and will feature The Penguin (once again played by Colin Farrell in a nearly unrecognizable look), the series will mostly stand on its own.
It will offer extra insight into the new Batman universe, but watching it is not a requirement to understand the storyline of the movies. However, Reeves did emphasize that watching The Penguin will offer some benefits:
“Here’s the thing: I think that, in terms of it being like an epic crime saga, it is something that’s deepened by watching all of it. But the truth of the matter is that each one, of course, needs to live on its own. So The Batman lives on its own. The Penguin series lives on its own.
The Batman 2 will live on its own, but it will be deepened by your having. You won’t have to be prepared for what happens.
You’ll just understand that that’s the entry point of where this character is coming in and the events that unfold are unfolding in a way where it’s not like, oh, gee, I needed to see those eight episodes of that show or I won’t understand what’s going on. It’s not it doesn’t work that way.”
The Penguin’s Journey to Rule Gotham
Based on what Reeves shared, it appears that no major events in The Penguin series will drastically impact the larger storyline of The Batman trilogy. However, many DC fans will still want to watch the series while they wait for the next movie in the Batman saga.
Since the sequel doesn’t yet have a filming start date, it may be a while before we see Robert Pattinson return as Batman. Also, as far as it’s known, Bruce Wayne is not expected to appear in The Penguin.
The Penguin will focus on Oz Cobb’s rise to power in Gotham City’s criminal underworld following the death of Carmine Falcone.
In addition to Farrell, the show’s cast includes Cristin Milioti (How I Met Your Mother), Theo Rossi (Sons of Anarchy), David H. Holmes (High Fidelity), Myles Humphus (The Equalizer), and Hunter Emery (Orange is the New Black).
The Penguin will debut on Max on September 19.
