The Penguin is gearing up to conclude its run, with the Colin Farrell-led series expanding upon the Gotham City underworld and its power dynamics. However, the series has yet to include an appearance from Robert Pattinson’s Caped Crusader. Instead, the vigilante is expected to appear in a sequel to the Matt Reeves-directed sequel to The Batman.
According to reports, Reeves’ universe is expected to expand with another villain-centric series rumored to be in development. After a brief appearance in The Batman, Barry Keoghan’s Joker is supposed to take center stage in his own series. However, the series cannot repeat the same mistake as The Penguin, when it comes to Batman and his biggest win so far.
HBO’s Proposed Joker Series Needs to Show Batman’s Biggest Win
Following the success of The Penguin, another spin-off in Matt Reeves’ The Batman universe was rumored to be in development at HBO. The proposed spin-off is expected to be centered on Barry Keoghan‘s Joker, who was briefly introduced in the first installment.
According to reports, the new spin-off series is expected to bridge the gap between the second and third big-screen installments featuring Robert Pattinson‘s Bruce Wayne / Batman. On social media, fans of the franchise hoped to see the series explore the confrontation between the Joker and Pattinson’s Batman.
One fan tweeted the above, about the deleted scene from the first installment, which established the connection between Batman and Joker of this universe.
The duo’s interaction at Arkham Asylum strongly suggests that they have a good history, which is surprising because Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne has been Batman for not more than a year. As a result, Batman not only fighting but also capturing Joker so early in his crime-fighting scene deserves to be explored in the standalone series.
The Joker Series Can’t Repeat What Colin Farrell’s The Penguin Did With Batman
Although the canonicity of the deleted scenes featuring Keoghan’s Joker can be debated, it is unlikely that the character won’t feature in future installments. Keoghan has himself been very vocal about reprising the role and the eventual showdown between arch rivals might occur in the franchise’s third installment.
As a result, the standalone Joker series would provide the perfect opportunity to explore the history of Joker and Batman in Reeves’ universe. At the same time, it can also expand upon the origins and motivations of this iteration of the Joker and his connections to the criminal underworld of Gotham, in the same vein as the Colin Farrell-led The Penguin does for its titular character.
However, unlike that series, the Joker-focused spin-off needs to include Pattinson’s Batman, at least as a major cameo in a flashback scene. The series should dive deeper into the history suggested by their interaction in the deleted scene and expand upon the root of their conflict. Batman’s appearance needs to culminate with fans seeing how the Caped Crusader captured the Clown Prince of Crime, juxtaposing it against the present turmoil in Gotham City.
The Batman and The Penguin are streaming on Max.
