One of The Batman HBO Max spin-off shows in motion, is the series set around Colin Farrell's
the Penguin, and just recently, we've had some news surrounding the filming and what
it could be about. I haven't really talked about the spin-off shows much in my coverage
of The Batman, and I thought that because of this recent news, it would be a good idea
to discuss the details and my thoughts surrounding
what the series could include. But before I get into it, if you want to keep up to date
on any of my future content surrounding the The Batman, it's sequels and the HBO Max spinoff
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But without further a do, lets dive into all the news and my thoughts on the Penguin Spin-off
show for The Batman.
So it's clear that Warner Brothers Discovery is fully embracing the new on-screen Batman
world. They recently greenlit a sequel to Matt Reeves successful 2022 film and they
are going to be expanding even further with a HBO Max spin-off
show starring Colin Farrell’s Penguin and even a Arkham Asylum show that's yet to be
discussed more. But in regards to The penguin series, some recent news has confirmed that
they plan to begin filming the show on June the 15th this year via a recent production
listing. This came from One Take News, who gave the
date and also provided a synopsis for the yet to be filmed Spin-Off. The synopsis reads:
The Penguin is a spinoff of The Batman, described as a “Scarface-like” series about the
rise of the Penguin character. It will show Penguin’s
rise to power over time, likely with an ending that leads right into the character we all
already saw on screen. The Penguin show will, unsurprisingly, follow Oswald Cobblepot, played
by Colin Farrell as he works his way up to presumably fill the newly created power vacuum
at the top of Gotham City's underworld. What we also know is that The Batman director
Matt Reeves will serve as an executive producer alongside Colin Farrell, and that Agents of
Shield and Chuck writer, Lauren LeFranc will serve as the showrunner. In relation to the
series Colin Farrell said in an interview, “I couldn’t be more excited about continuing
this exploration of Oz as he rises through the
darkened ranks to become The Penguin. Will be good to get him back on the streets of
Gotham for a little madness and a little mayhem.”
Of course, The Batman movie showed us that the Penguin is a prime gangster in Gotham
city, who was only topped by Carmine Falcone, while he was alive. But now that Falcone is
dead and that the ending left for some villains to
fill the void, penguin is the number one candidate for a power grab in the city. And coming back
to that synopsis, the particular timeline itself comes into question, and this is something
that hasn't been previously revealed or spoken on. Based on the wording, there's a chance
that the first season could follow the events before The Batman. And because the Penguin
is still being developed in the current timeline, I'd put my money on their being a lot taking
place after the first film too. You could really see the growth of this character more
deeply over time and really give the freedom to flesh out the iconic aspects of him. There's
so much lore and references that can be introduced in the series too, and having more
screentime with Farrell's villain, instantly creates that opportunity. There was a recent
casting list that went out on 4Chan, surrounding Clayface being a potential character too,
but to be honest, I would take that with a grain of salt because it very well likely
is fake. If this had more evidence behind it, I would
believe it, but I'm sure we'll get more news on who is going to be apart of it in the next
few months. But before I get into the potential aspects and things that I would like to see
in the Penguin spin-off show, when could it actually come out. Well because this is set
to start filming in June and The Batman 2 is currently in it's early writing stages,
I think it's likely that the Penguin will come out
before The Batman 2 does. And like I said the other day, based on previous production
schedules, The Batman sequel will most likely fall
between 2024 and 2025, meaning that the Penguin could be looking at a 2023 release date. Especially
when we consider that it's filming this summer, it is a high possibility. I don't
know what this means for the other HBO Max spin-off focused on Arkham Asylum, but that
would be my guess for those two current projects. But either way, with the Penguin filming in
just over month, they've clearly made some huge progress with the series and that makes
a release next year have the most ideal target. We'll have to see, but I'll keep you updated
on everything surrounding it's production and
scheduled release date.
So what could we expect to see in The Penguin series. Well as briefly touched on before,
we are likely going to see Oz's rise to power. The character wasn't always the gangster we
know him to be and I think with more screentime, we are going to see his journey over time
in becoming the criminal he eventually molds into. The whole idea that this show might
cover before and after The Batman is something that
could integrally be linked to that, showcasing his journey from commited crimes under Falcone
to eventually being the boss of them. It may be a show of positions, showing Oz rise up
the ranks into the Penguin we know. And this would also call for the establishment of the
Iceburg Lounge. In the comics, the Lounge is
typically known and utilized as a base for his crimes and showing the course in which
he comes into his own, would further help to convey the criminal growth of Penguin's
character. We could see the origin tale of the lounge through
a flashback scene or episodes alongside the history of events that went down there to
really show the importance of this landmark and
what it's means to Oz before he becomes the prime owner of it. And maybe they could even
link this location to the war between moroni and falcone, making it a cornerstone in what
would eventually be the stepping one for Penguin
to be the new boss. I like this idea and because the war was mentioned multiple times in The
Batman, it definitely created an intrique surrounding the history of these characters
in Gotham City. And speaking of history, I think it's very likely that we'll see the
tragic history of the Penguin. Have you wondered how he
got those face scars, well, this could be an opportunity to see that play out, especially
when we take a look at his sad backstory. Traditionally this involved the villain being
violently bullied, picked on for his stature, and given the name Penguin, which would also
turn out to be his drive. He becomes a criminal boss, bullies others and owns the name he
was given by his previous abusers, making for
quite the reverse of outcomes, but one that's also quite understandable. Making this a core
part of his motivation, again maybe through flashbacks, gives the Penguin character all
the more depth he deserves. And could this even tie into the under the radar bullying
scheme by Falcone? I mean I know Penguin wanted to
prove himself as the new leader and be a fearsome symbol, but his lash out against Falcone just
as he was about to be killed, suggests to me that there was more pushing around then
meets the eye. We'll have to see, but getting in deep with the history and character motivations
is a great way to start his series.
And this now leads me to the future of The Penguin show. Where could he go and will he
eventually don the famous umbrella and look we are used to seeing. Well, I think Reeves
will want to keep this unique and still have a
big essence of the character design we saw in The Batman. But at the same time, I also
think that because that film was a year one story,
there's plenty of visual, thematic and storytelling changes to come as these aspects evolve over
the years. In regards to the story, it's quite clear that the Penguin will seize power
within Gotham's criminal ring, and his role for greed and extreme violence, will make
him one of the biggest threats going forward. That we do know. But what will he do next
and how does he get around the symbol of hope that
has just come to the surface in Robert Pattinson's Batman. Well he's going to have to instal
fear and a greater sense of security for his allies in his time as mob boss. Falcone thought
he was invincible because of his power, but I think Penguin will be different in the sense
that he has felt extreme loss in his past and
he seems more anxious then Falcone. So creating connections, building a stronger Iceburg Lounge
and making people in the city fear his reign, will be a primary focus when it comes to
keeping the caped crusader at bay. It'll be interesting to see if the HBO Max series takes
us down the path of Batman battling with Penguin, but honestly, I think there's still a lot
of time for growth, before the Penguin can become the force that we know he can be. Whether
that's showing this path in the events before the film, after, or even both, is still a
mystery, and overall I'm just excited to see which way they eventually go with it.
But that was my video discussing all the details for The Batman Penguin Spin-Off. There's so
many possibilities surrounding which direction this show could take and based on the examples
I've listed, I think it has the potential to cover it all. Multi-season shows on multiple
characters and factions in Matt Reeves world could be the plan, and it opens the opportunities
for greater expansion. It's clear that with the two shows already announced that the filmmaker
wants to do just that. Alongside a trilogy or even 5 Batman films, the shows can really
enrichen the long form storytelling on show, yet the films can also be their own thing
and give us individual stories. This has been working for DC recently and it did in The
Batman too, so it's a way to bring a different kind
of growing universe onscreen. Putting universes aside, at the end of the day, we all want
great individual movies and TV Shows that can
lend themselves to revisits and long term appreciation, rather then forgettable and
repeating comic book projects that we see more than often. I can't wait to see what
they do with The Penguin, and it's a chance to really build
on the character introduced in the first film and set him up to be even more interesting
come the next feature films. We'll have to see,
but Warner Bros Discovery are fully diving into the upcoming Matt Reeves related Batman
projects, and I'm excited for all of it. But let me know down below in the comments section
what you think towards the Penguin Spin-Off show
for HBO Max alongside what you would like to see featured.
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and as always make some noise.