New promotional material for Matt Reeves’ The Batman - Part II, which will introduce a new take on a still-unconfirmed DC villain.
On September 10th, 2024, Gotham City newspapers were distributed in Manhattan. These fictional newspapers address the events of The Batman’s ending and their aftermath. For instance, it reveals that escape rooms inspired by the Riddler’s attack on Gotham and the subsequent flood have popped up across the city. It also confirms that Carmine Falcone’s son Alberto has returned to Gotham. Al Falcone previously appeared in Andy Muschietti’s The Flash, where his plan to blow up Gotham was thwarted by Ben Affleck’s Batman, Ezra Miller’s Flash, and Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman. Besides these two pieces of information, The Penguin's merch features four other key reveals.
The Penguin May Introduce The Batman's Version Of Harvey Dent
The Penguin Merch Hints At Harvey Dent As Gotham's New District Attorney
The first news story in The Penguin's fictional newspaper details the new Gotham District Attorney's comments on crime and the justice system. The news piece begins with the phrase "is our legal system dented beyond repair?" and continues to explain that "... both sides of the courtroom don't always agree" on how to classify crimes such as property theft. The words "dented" and "both sides" may be hinting to Harvey Dent, who becomes the Batman villain Two-Face in the comics. The newspaper also includes a drawing of the District Attorney, depicting him as a young white man.
Perhaps Joker: Folie a Deux's Harvey Dent will remain a regular character, while The Penguin's Dent will eventually transform into the iconic comic book villain
Harvey Dent is a perfect candidate for a primary or secondary antagonist in The Penguin, The Batman - Part II, and The Batman - Part III, as he can oppose criminals like the Penguin and vigilantes like Batman. The fact that Harry Lawtey is playing Harvey Dent in Joker: Folie a Deux would suggest that Matt Reeves' The Batman universe would avoid using the same characters, but it seems like a new version of Harvey Dent is still a possibility. Perhaps Joker: Folie a Deux's Harvey Dent will remain a regular character, while The Penguin's Dent will eventually transform into the iconic comic book villain.
Blackgate Riots Tease An Arkham-Like The Batman Sequel
Blackgate And Arkham May Be Approaching Breakouts In The Batman's Sequels
The second news story in The Penguin's newspaper is titled "Chaos in Blackgate?". It covers inmate riots at Blackgate Penitentiary, caused by bribes to prison staff, contraband weapons, and conflicts instigated by the Riddler's negative influence on criminals. Allegedly, many guards are "willing to give prisoners whatever they want for the right price". While it seems like the situation is under control, riots across Gotham are likely to culminate in prison breakouts, not only at Blackgate but also at Arkham City, which is where the Riddler and the Joker are incarcerated. In fact, a prison break plan may be what the Joker is trying to execute with the Riddler's help.
Will The Joker Be In The Batman 2? Deleted Scene Is The Perfect Set-Up
The Batman not only introduces a brand new Joker but also sets up what his role will be in the future of the franchise, including The Batman 2.
Batman dealing with multiple villains and criminals simultaneously after an Arkham breakout is a popular plot in both the comics and the famous Arkham video game franchise. Bane's revolution in The Dark Knight Rises has been the closest any DC movie has gotten to a full-fledged prison escape story. Apart from The Penguin, The Batman originally led to a Gotham PD and an Arkham Asylum spinoff series. Since these shows have been canceled, it's possible that The Batman - Part II or The Batman - Part III will center around a prison breakout.
Batman Missing From The Public Eye May Hint To A Few Comic Book Stories
Batman May Already Be Dealing With His Next Antagonists Before The Batman - Part II
Rather surprisingly, The Penguin's newspaper includes a cartoon that features James Gordon being told by a police officer that "it's been weeks" as they stand next to the Bat-Signal. It seems like Batman has been absent for several weeks, and the Dark Knight either couldn't or didn't want to inform Gordon about his whereabouts. The cartoon also shows grafitti with the words "vengeance" and "no more lies", suggesting that Gotham City residents have been inspired both by Batman and the Riddler's actions, as Batman's catchphrase used to be "vengeance" and the Riddler left clues with "no more lies" written on them.
Batman's absence hints at a live-action adaptation of one or more specific comic book storylines. For instance, Batman R.I.P. follows Batman as he gets his life back following an attack by the Black Glove organization, who drug him and kidnap him, leading to an identity crisis. In Batman: No Man's Land, Batman leaves Gotham in order to help rebuild the city from the outside, while various Gotham villains take over their own territories. The most likely option, however, might be Batman: The Court of Owls, where the titular secret organization traps Batman in a labyrinth with no food until he hallucinates.
The Riddler's owl clue and The Batman's deep corruption themes suggest that the Court of Owls will appear in The Batman - Part II or The Batman - Part III.
Matt Reeves' The Batman Universe Officially Has A Metropolis
Matt Reeves' DC Universe Isn't Limited To Gotham City Anymore
The Riddler-inspired escape room news story featured in The Penguin's fictional newspaper ends with one anonymous Gotham parent complaining about this issue. This person poses the question, "shouldn't our children idolize role models who exemplify personal responsibility instead? This would never happen in Metropolis." In such a brief sentence, The Penguin merch reveals that Metropolis exists in Matt Reeves' The Batman universe, but whether this version of Metropolis has a Superman is yet to be seen. Considering how grounded The Batman is, it previously seemed as though the franchise was going to take The Dark Knight's route and omit all other DC cities and characters.
It's possible that characters like Superman and Wonder Woman exist in The Batman's DC continuity as fictional characters
Set footage for The Batman showed background actors dressed up as Superman and Wonder Woman, apparently for a Halloween event. These scenes were deleted, and little is known about their purpose. However, their existence suggests that Matt Reeves' The Batman universe was going to include more DC characters one way or another. It's possible that characters like Superman and Wonder Woman exist in The Batman's DC continuity as fictional characters, or that they are still urban myths while they fight crime in secret. Perhaps The Penguin and The Batman - Part II will delve deeper into these reveals.
The Penguin
- Release Date
- 2024 - 2024-00-00
- Showrunner
- Lauren LeFranc
- Directors
- Craig Zobel
Cast
Oz Cobb
Sofia Falcone
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Lauren LeFranc
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