In September, reports confirmed that Warner Bros. A penguin-centric spinoff of The Batman is currently in development for HBO Max, but Colin Farrell's return in the role was not guaranteed.
Now, however, Variety has confirmed the Irish actor's involvement in the project. Aside from reprising his role as Oswald Cobblepot, Farrell will also serve as the show's executive producer.
Details about the field are scant on what the upcoming HBO Max show will cover, but these early reports suggest it will examine Penguin's rise to power in Gotham. We might get a better idea of the plot the moment we see Farrell in action for the first time in Matt Reeves' The Batman, which opens on March XNUMX, XNUMX.
We know that Lauren LeFranc has signed on to write the series script, with Reeves and Batman producer Dylan Clark also serving as ancillary project managers.
The resolution to grant Penguin its spinoff show marks another part of WarnerMedia's plan to launch its interconnected Cosmos Batman in the vein of Marvel's Cinematic Cosmos.
The studio already has a rogue drama in development about Gotham, with British screenwriter Joe Barton attached as showrunner. Multiple other DC shows, such as the Suicide Squad Peacemaker spinoff and JJ Abrams' Justice League Dark series, are also in the works.
Is Batman going to have a sequel?
As for whether The Batman itself is going to mark the first installment of a handful of caped crusader movies directed by Robert Pattinson, we've spotted certain clues that hint at that possibility.
In March, when the filming of Matt Reeves' Project Dark Knight officially wrapped up, actor Jeffrey Wright, who plays Commissioner Gordon in the upcoming film, tweeted an enigmatic message to fans hinting that he would reprise the role in the future.
Gordon out...for the time being. Precisely one year after closing. certain walks. 🦇 (Sweet piece, @arvarvart.) https://t.co/idIuc3b0Qn pic.twitter.com/9tQ7BORSAe March thirteenth, 2021
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Of course, "...for the time being" may refer to a separate TV or movie directed by Gordon himself, rather than a direct sequel to The Batman, but given the scale of it. 'Warner's investment in DC IP over the next few years, we'd be surprised if Pattinson didn't put the hood on a second time.
Also, if Penguin returns to the small screen, it is fitting that Batman has a better chance of beating him.
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