Should The Batman director Matt Reeves get his way, The Penguin won’t be the only DC villain to have his own series on HBO, as he recently revealed that there are more plans for his “Epic Batman Crime Saga” to stretch beyond where it sits now. Reeves directed the 2022 film that saw Robert Pattinson don the famous cowl, and he serves as executive producer on The Penguin, which debuted on September 19 and has thus far been a big hit with viewers.
In an interview with The Wrap, Reeves disclosed that he’s currently in talks with Warner Bros. Discovery and HBO about the possibility of expanding the universe he stepped into a couple of years ago, which saw him put a darker spin on the Caped Crusader to create a super-noir of sorts that has quickly become a favorite among longtime fans. He admitted that it took some convincing to get The Penguin off the ground as a series, but now that it’s become a success, those holding the purse strings are more receptive to future projects that could involve more famous antagonists, which Reeves says there are a number of ideas for.
“The opportunity of being able to then on HBO, go and explore characters that wouldn’t be able to have that kind of real estate creatively, as we were able to do with Oz, that is something that we are talking to HBO about. They’re very excited about that idea. That’s something that we really, really hope we’re going to be able to do. We’ve got The Batman. We’ve got The Penguin. And who knows what’s next?”
Which Batman Villains Could Future HBO Shows Focus On?
With The Batman – Part II already announced for an October 2, 2026 release, Reeves’ corner of the DCU is said to be separate from James Gunn’s planned projects, meaning what happens in one, won’t affect the other. As such, he’s free to explore whichever characters he’d like to introduce in the upcoming sequel, which begs the question: which villains could be brought to the small screen to have their own series?
The obvious answer is Riddler, who was portrayed in the 2022 movie by Paul Dano and was left incarcerated in Arkham State Hospital. Like Colin Farrell before him, there’s a chance we could see Dano reprise the role for TV should that happen, but that’s pure conjecture at this point. Other notable baddies that could be spun off include Mr. Freeze, Hush, Calendar Man, or perhaps the entire criminal organization known as the Court of Owls, who finally made their film debut in the 2015 animated movie Batman vs. Robin after appearing in a few TV shows. It really all depends on Reeves and which characters he decides to debut in the sequel, which will give us a better understanding of where things might land on HBO.
Related
The Penguin Just Introduced a New Batman Comic Villain
This week’s episode of The Penguin revealed a brand new DC Comics villain in Matt Reeves’ Batman universe.
Still, this is all good news for fans who are finally getting all the live-action Batman content they crave, which may even lead to a Joker series down the line, since he did show up in 2022 for a brief moment, portrayed by Barry Keoghan. We won’t hold our breath on that one, though, as the Joker is one of those characters who is so iconic, he’s almost too big for TV, and is best reserved for more big screen adaptations that aren’t directed by Todd Phillips.
Created by Lauren LeFranc, The Penguin is a crime-drama spin-off television series of 2022’s film The Batman. Set shortly after the events of The Batman, Oz Cobb, A.K.A. the Penguin, begins his rise in the underworld of Gotham City as he contends with the daughter of his late boss, Carmine Falcone, for control of the crime family’s empire.
- Release Date
- September 19, 2024
- Seasons
- 1