There's nothing better than a trip to the twisted, dark, and violent streets of Gotham City, and The Batman is the perfect example. Fans were immediately captivated by the world that director Matt Reeves created and eagerly awaited the day they could get a better glimpse of the dangers that lie within DC's most dangerous city. That dream finally became a reality in 2024 with the release of HBO Max's The Penguin, a limited series that showcased Oz's rise to power and how he became the ruthless Batman villain we all know and love to hate.
To say The Penguin was a success would be an understatement. It gathered 5.3 million views during its first four days on the air, and both critics and fans alike consider it to be among the best series created set within a superhero world. The best part? Oz's journey is far from over.
But while the infamous villain is confirmed to appear in The Batman Part II, we all want to see him seize control of the city in the second season of his stand-alone show. Unfortunately, the chances of that ever happening are next to none, as revealed by a new interview.
The Penguin's showrunner says season 2 isn't something the team 'ever really talked about'
While talking with The Hollywood Reporter, The Penguin showrunner Lauren LeFranc was asked about the possibility of a second season. Unfortunately, not only is there no status update, but it seems that there aren't any plans to make it a reality (at least not until The Batman Part II premieres).
"We have to feel confident we can top ourselves, and that’s something that’s really important to Colin Farrell and me, especially; otherwise, we don’t want to do something again if it’s not going to be excellent. We were always meant to be a limited series. So, pivoting to a second season is just different — it’s not something we ever really talked about."
On the one hand, it's reassuring to learn that a second season of The Penguin won't be made just for the sake of it without a solid plan in store beforehand. After all, the Marvel Cinematic Universe fell into that trap when Disney+ was launched, and the superhero giant is still suffering the repercussions of poor planning and low-quality projects to this date. However, the only other project confirmed to take place in Matt Reeves' Batman universe is The Batman Part III. Aside from that, there doesn't seem to be any intention to expand upon this DC Elseworld.
But while it is unlikely that The Penguin season 2 gets greenlit, it isn't impossible either. There's a lot of secrecy surrounding the script of The Batman Part II — so much so that Lauren LeFranc hasn't read it yet. However, when she does, she might find a storyline that deserves to be followed up on in Oz's stand-alone show:
"Matt just turned in his script (forThe Batman Part II), so I’m excited to read that soon and see what comes of that — if there is anything there that merits a second season or not."
Matt Reeves has talked about how the first season of The Penguin leads directly into the events of The Batman Part II. However, Colin Farrell has revealed that his character will only appear in five or six scenes in the Caped Crusader's highly anticipated sequel. With that in mind, it's easy to question why the villain was built up so much during his own stand-alone show. It's clear that DC has a plan in store for Oz, but audiences have yet to learn when (or where) we'll see such a payoff.
Unfortunately, we're still a long way off from witnessing the Dark Knight's return on the big screen. But as we get closer to that day, perhaps more information will be revealed about what the future holds in store for Gotham's biggest mobster.
The Batman Part II will be released on Oct. 1, 2027.