As we all know, THE BATMAN: PART II‘s release date was pushed back an entire year from October 4th, 2025 to October 3rd, 2026.
Yeah, bummer…I know.
But don’t despair, I have good news for you: The sequel to THE BATMAN is coming THIS year! Not only is it coming in 2024, we’re just mere months away from its debut!
No, it’s not THE BATMAN: PART II, it’s THE PENGUIN — a 10-part prestige series on MAX that’s billed as “THE NEXT CHAPTER OF THE BATMAN SAGA.” In fact, Matt Reeves has said that THE PENGUIN picks up soon after the events of THE BATMAN and then will lead right into THE BATMAN: PART II.
That certainly sounds like a sequel to me.
As fans (since you’re here on BOF, I assume it’s because you’re mostly a fan of Batman and Batman movies) this is new and certainly different territory. We’re used to the traditional “sequel” to a film which is, well, another film. In this case, we’re going from film (THE BATMAN) to streaming TV series (THE PENGUIN), unprecedented in the comic book/superhero genre. Yes, there have been spinoffs of films on TV before, but none were direct sequels specifically meant to be the next chapter of an overall story and a bridge to the next (THE BATMAN: PART II).
I know some folks do not care for live-action Batman TV projects that don’t include Batman, yours truly included (FYI: I’m not keen on a full-on live-action Batman TV/streaming series, anyway. I think that should be reserved for the big screen…but that’s a topic for another day!). I mean, most (all) of them — BIRDS OF PREY, GOTHAM, BATWOMAN, GOTHAM KNIGHTS — sucked. So yeah, I get it. BUT…
THE PENGUIN ain’t them nor is it airing on The CW…no offense, The CW.
It’s a high-quality, big-budget (relatively speaking), film-like production. It’s also airing on HBO (MAX), the home of some of the best prestige TV in history (especially crime shows) such as THE SOPRANOS, BOARDWALK EMPIRE, the TRUE DETECTIVE series, MARE OF EASTTOWN, etc.
I’ll admit that THE PENGUIN will be structured so that the general audience will not be lost when they see THE BATMAN: PART II in 2026. Not everyone who saw THE BATMAN has a MAX subscription. Like, you didn’t have to read the BEFORE THE BATMAN prequel junior novel to enjoy the film. Likewise, THE RIDDLER: YEAR ONE comic book miniseries (by Paul Dano) wasn’t retroactively required reading. However, THE BATMAN: PART II will likely include some things that only those who watched THE PENGUIN will “get”…and perhaps enhance the experience.
The bottom line is that THE PENGUIN will give fans more (like 10 hours worth) of THE BATMAN SAGA just about halfway between THE BATMAN: PART I and PART II. I don’t know about you, but I’m rather happy and thankful and it will certainly make the time between the two big films seem much shorter. And for those who are “meh” on it because The Batman’s not in it…
I’d bet $1 Million — in MONOPOLY money, as always — that at some point during THE PENGUIN, Robert Pattinson’s Dark Knight will make an appearance. – Bill “Jett” Ramey
