“The Penguin” creators say show stands on its own without Batman: 'I don't feel like it's missing something'

Colin Farrell stars in the upcoming HBO series.

Make no mistake: Max's upcoming series The Penguin, a spin-off of the 2022 movie The Batman, is the story of the titular character, who is once again played by Colin Farrell. It's the story of Oswald Cobblepot, not Bruce Wayne.

There will be no Batman cameo, The Penguin creators have confirmed.

"I don't feel like it's missing something fundamental," Matt Reeves, who directed The Batman and is executive producing the new series, said in a new interview with SFX magazine. "I feel like it's an extension of what is fundamentally there. We know this is the world of Batman."

Related: Colin Farrell's Penguin look was inspired by Harvey Weinstein, Fredo from The Godfather

But with the villainous character in the lead, it's not exactly the same either. (Watch the trailer below.)

"You're going down a different alley," Reeves said. "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."

Robert Pattinson stars as Bruce Wayne/Batman in Reeves' moody superhero film and its highly anticipated sequel The Batman Part II, due for release on Oct. 2, 2026.

The Penguin head writer and showrunner Lauren LeFranc said she understands that people would want to have Batman.

"To me I think it packs a different punch," she told the magazine. "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."

Reeves and his producing partner on the movie, Dylan Clark, have envisioned a universe of movies and shows spun off from the film, beginning with a 2026 sequel to The Batman.

Related: The Penguin will bridge the gap between The Batman and the upcoming sequel (exclusive)

Last month, Farrell told EW that he was excited to delve into the people, places, and events that shaped his dark character via a TV series.

"I loved doing the part in the Batman film and the idea that we would get spoiled by having eight hours to really delve into this character's psychology and backstory," Farrell said. "Backstory plays a big part in the television show."

The Penguin premieres in September on HBO and Max.

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