Summary
- Oz’s character arc in The Batman Part 2 needs to set up a compelling trajectory for another season of The Penguin.
- The script for The Batman Part 2 may be influenced by The Penguin’s success.
- The Batman Part 2 needs to continue setting up the pieces of the expanding DC franchise.
A lot of eyes are on Matt Reeves’ The Batman universe right now as The Penguin sweeps the awards trail and The Batman Part 2 prepares to enter production. With talks heating up of another season of The Penguin, it makes the plot of the second The Batman movie even more important for the future of the franchise.
Reeves’ The Batman was released in 2022 to wide acclaim. The movie rebooted the classic DC character and was set outside the DCEU and Gunn’s new DCU (at least for now). Following the film’s success, several spin-offs were put into production, out of which The Penguin, a series focusing on Colin Farrell’s character from the movie, rose to the top. In 2024, The Penguin came to fruition, with Farrell leading the series as Oswald Cobb, along with Cristin Milioti as his rival Sofia Falcone. The Penguin takes place chronologically after the events of The Batman and sets up the character for an appearance in The Batman Part 2.
Related
The Penguin Season 2 Could Only Come Out After The Batman Part 2
Fans of The Penguin might be forced into waiting a little longer for a potential second season.
Oswald Cobb Needs A Compelling Arc
When it comes to The Batman Part 2 very little is known about the story right now. The Penguin was a continuation of the events in Reeves’ Gotham City and revealed some of what went on after the Riddler’s plan came to fruition, including the floods impacting Gotham and the vacuum of power following Carmine Falcone’s death. However, the series mainly served to evolve Oz as a character, meaning The Batman Part 2 still has a lot of freedom in what it can do with its story. Colin Farrell has confirmed that he is set to appear in a handful of scenes in The Batman Part 2, although the extent of the Penguin’s involvement in the narrative is unclear.
With The Penguin Season 2 getting more likely by the day, Oz’s character arc in The Batman Part 2 is more important than ever. Where The Penguin left the character, he had turned into the top hat-wearing, narcissistic psychopath and crime lord that he is known for being in DC Comics. The intention of The Penguin was always to show the evolution of Oz from the character he was in The Batman to the character he became at the end of the HBO show, so for another season of The Penguin to exist he needs to have a compelling character arc. This means Oz’s scenes in The Batman Part 2 must be meaningful and set up a trajectory for the character that is worth exploring in another season of TV. Naturally, it will also be important that Oz is not killed off or dismissed in The Batman sequel if the team wants to continue his story.
Oz’s scenes in The Batman Part 2 must be meaningful and set up a trajectory for the character that is worth exploring in another season of TV.
Is The Penguin Impacting The Batman Part 2?
The Batman was released almost three years ago and it was confirmed pretty quickly that the movie would launch a trilogy of Robert Pattinson-led Batman movies. However, it’s now 2025, and the second The Batman movie has seen multiple delays. Reeves has confirmed that the script is almost finished and that filming is set to start in 2025, but it has taken quite a while for the team to nail down the story they want to pursue. It begs the question of whether The Batman Part 2’s script is being impacted at all by The Penguin’s success. This isn’t to say that The Batman 2 has to make Farrell’s villain front and center, but if the creative team is looking at ways to extend the longevity of The Penguin, some of The Batman Part 2’s script may need to accommodate that, which would be extending the drafting process.
The Batman Part 2 is Crucial to the Future of the Reeves-Verse
As Reeves’ The Batman universe continues to expand, each of its limbs must work together in harmony. As the Marvel Cinematic Universe has shown, audiences are willing to invest in multiple movies and TV projects in the same universe, provided they have meaningful interactions with each other. The Penguin is not the only planned spin-off from The Batman universe, which makes The Batman Part 2 an even more crucial part of the puzzle as it continues the journeys of existing characters and potentially sets up avenues for new projects.
The Batman Part 2 is scheduled for release in 2027.
The Batman Part II
The Batman Part II is the sequel to Matt Reeve’s The Batman, released in 2022, and will continue where the original film left off. The film shares a universe with the HBO Max original Penguin series and sees the return of the Riddler and a different incarnation of the Joker.
- Release Date
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October 1, 2027
- Director
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Matt Reeves
- Studio(s)
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Warner Bros. Pictures
, DC Films - Distributor(s)
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Warner Bros. Pictures
