The Penguin will air this week after receiving rave reviews, exactly the kind of thing WB and DC want to see in the wake of the destruction of the DCEU, and before James Gunn’s DCU has spooled up. The Batman universe is a part of “Elseworlds,” non-DCU stories where reportedly Matt Reeves opted not to join the DCU to have more creative and tonal freedom. Like an R-rated Penguin show.
Now, there are other shows in the works, as has been confirmed by Reeves and others, and we have some hints about what those may be.
There was at one point going to be a series based on Arkham Asylum but didn’t “lean” enough into well-known characters for HBO. The Arkham story was originally meant to have a lot of backstory of The Penguin’s Sofia Falcone, but that was scrapped and reportedly does not have an affect on The Penguin now. However, there is a quote from producer Dylan Clark speaking to The Direct suggesting it could be alive in some form:
“But her ideas and the story elements that relate to [Sofia Falcone], those are all new ideas for her and have nothing to do with the other series that we’re continuing to do.”
They say “continuing to do,” so some may believe that Arkham itself is being retooled in some way, though it could mean a different project. Arkham’s Barry Keoghan Joker is reportedly going to have a big role in The Batman 2.
Then, a reporter asks about a potential legal drama series revolving around Harvey Dent, and that’s met with the idea the journalist was “thinking certainly in the way that our conversations have gone” indicating maybe that’s in the works. Harvey Dent has not yet shown up in The Batman universe, but should be there in The Batman 2, reportedly out on October 2, 2026. No actor has been publicly revealed.
The Penguin apparently ends a week before the events of The Batman 2 in the middle of winter, so any new show would likely take place after that, and will likely depend on the events of that series for us to know where things are going. Given that The Penguin spawned directly out of The Batman, and Sofia Falcone was related to the Arkham show, expect a direct connection, rather than some standalone story with new characters.
Things are going to get confusing when Gunn’s DCU does in fact introduce its own Batman, where The Brave and the Bold is supposed to be out exactly a year before The Batman 2 in October 3, 2025. That focuses on Batman’s relationship with his son and a Robin, Damian Wayne. Actors like Reacher’s Alan Ritchson have chimed in saying they’d love the Bruce Wayne part, but no one has been cast. And it’s not going to be Robert Pattinson, that has been made clear. Weird, but probably good times ahead.
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