In addition to the major DC reboot that is currently being put together by James Gunn with a new Superman film, there is another DC universewhich will be expanded in the future under the umbrella of Warner Bros. Discovery. The first film was released two years ago: The Batman with Robert Pattinson.
In a few months we can return to the rainy streets of Gotham when The Penguin returns first spin-off of the series starts. The sequel The Batman Part II is also in the works. But what is this DC universe actually called? And what is the big plan? The creatives behind the project explain.
Welcome to the Batman Epic Crime Saga: Three projects are confirmed, two have already failed
As Entertainment Weekly has learned in an exclusive report, the universe initiated by The Batman is called Batman: The Complete Serieswhich includes the three projects mentioned: The Batman, The Penguin and The Batman Part II.
You can watch the trailer for The Penguin here:
The Penguin – S01 Teaser Trailer 2 (German) HD
Two other series spin-offs, however, failed. The Batman director Matt Reeves and producer Dylan Clark originally wanted to make a series about the Gotham City Police Department and had found the perfect showrunner: Terence Winter, who created an epic gangster series with Boardwalk Empire and was involved in the TV milestone The Sopranos.
A series about the psychiatric institution Arkham Asylum was also being discussed. As Reeves revealed, work on both projects has been stopped. Command from above: The focus of the Batman saga should be on more well-known characters from the DC universe. And that brings us to The Penguin with Colin Farrell.
The Penguin is described as a mixture of Scarface and Shakespeare. According to Reeves, the series also features elements that were intended for Gotham PD. As Variety notes, the spin-off revolved around the Depths of the police apparatus in the DC metropolis – with a corrupt cop at the center.
The Batman Epic Crime Saga consistently expands on the crime scene approach of The Batman
The name of the new Batman universe says it all: After Pattinson’s Batman was established as a detective, the next project leans even more in the direction of Tatort and shows us a side of Gotham that has little to do with classic superhero cinema. Instead, it’s about police work and crime.
HBO
Colin Farrell in The Penguin
Specifically, The Penguin begins one week after the events of The Batman. Crime boss Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) is dead, which means that Gotham is under Power vacuum formed Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot sees his time has come and transforms into the titular villain of the series.
Showrunner Lauren LeFranc teases:
We are in the world of Oz. We live in the Dark side of the city. Oz is a doer and a disruptor. He can’t always be trusted. He is very smart and methodical, but he is also extremely impulsive. It is impossible to predict what he will do next.
She also reveals an exciting detail:
We are the bridge between [The Batman und The Batman Part II]. We are almost directly to the second film aboutthe Matt [Reeves] is currently planning.
Despite the two series that didn’t come to fruition, it sounds like the creative team behind the Batman Epic Crime Saga has a solid plan for the expansion of the franchise, which is being created parallel to the new DC Universe. While the new Superman saves the world, Batman, Penguin and Co. are investigating.
When do The Penguin and The Batman Part II start?
The Penguin will be released in Germany on 19 September 2024 Sky has secured the local broadcasting rights, which means that the series will also be available on the streaming service WOW. The first season includes eight episodes.
We have to wait a little longer for The Batman Part II. It will not be released until October 1, 2026 Robert Pattinson returns to the run-down Gotham as the Dark Knight.