‘The Penguin’ Creators Explain Why Robert Pattinson’s Batman Won’t Appear in Series

While fans can look forward to Colin Farrell reprising his villainous Oswald Cobblepot role in The Penguin, they should not expect to see Robert Pattinson’s Batman.

The HBO series is a spin-off of the 2022 movie The Batman, however, it centers on Farrell’s character trying to seize the reins of the crime world in Gotham.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

• Colin Farrell Opens Up About Son With Angelman Syndrome: "I Want the World to Treat Him With Kindness"

• 'Batman: Caped Crusader' Review: Amazon's Dark Knight Series Entertains Though Rarely Soars

• 'The Penguin' Brings Crime-Ridden Trailer to Comic-Con

“I understand why people’s desire would be to have Batman, or to think that unless Batman’s in a show or a film then it doesn’t have the same punch,” showrunner Lauren LeFranc recently explained to SFX magazine. “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.”

LeFranc also described The Penguin as a “different experience,” adding, “I think Gotham is an interesting enough city that it deserves to have more doors unlocked within it, and for us to walk through those and see what we think.”

Reeves, who served as an executive producer on the new series, also tried to ease fans’ fears, saying he doesn’t “feel like it’s missing something fundamental.”

“I feel like it’s an extension of what is fundamentally there. We know this is the world of Batman,” the filmmaker added. “You’re going down a different alley. So the spectre of Batman is there. The spectre of the Riddler is there. The spectre of everything that happens in the last movie is there. It informs it. And it’s exactly where we begin.”

The Penguin is set to premiere on HBO and Max on Sept. 19. Reeves is also working on The Batman sequel, due out in 2026.

Best of The Hollywood Reporter

• A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise

• What the 'House of the Dragon' Cast Starred in Before the 'Game of Thrones' Spinoff

• 'Yellowstone' and the Sprawling Dutton Family Tree

Sign up for Hollywoodreporter's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.