Even before The Penguin premiered on HBO and Max, director/writer Matt Reeves and company promised that the end of the series would lead right into the upcoming The Batman Part II. And now, with the finale aired, we have a pretty fair idea of the plotlines that will pick up in the Batman sequel… Including a direct tease that Vengeance is coming.
Spoilers for The Penguin series finale past this point, but in the final hour, not only did we get an explicit setup for the second Robert Pattinson starring movie, but also a bunch of dangling plotlines about what might be to come.
What we do know is that Pattinson will be back as Bruce Wayne, Andy Serkis returns as Alfred Pennyworth, Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon, and Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobb/The Penguin. We also know that the movie, which is once again directed by Matt Reeves, and co-written by Reeves and Mattson Tomlin, will premiere on October 2, 2026. Or, is currently scheduled for that date, I guess we’ll see what happens.
In any case, we don’t know any additional cast-members at this point or plotlines. But we can make some well-educated guesses based on the finale. So let’s get into some dangling plotlines from The Penguin we expect may be picked up in The Batman Part II.
The Batsignal Promises Vengeance Is Coming
The final shot of the season is the clearest setup for the sequel we’ve seen. Matt Reeves previously explained that the rough story of The Penguin was originally the beginning of The Batman Part II. Instead, HBO chief Casey Bloys suggested they turn it into a TV show… This means Oswald’s rise in Gotham is no longer where we start in the sequel… Oz has already risen.
And clearly, that has finally put him on Batman’s radar. The season ends with Oz’s girlfriend Eve Karlo telling him, “Gotham’s yours, sweetheart… Nothing’s standing in your way now.” Responds Oz, “You’re goddamn right,” as the camera pans outside, and we see the Batsignal flip on. While we don’t know whether The Batman Part II will open with Batman punching Oswald within an inch of his life for what he did to poor Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz), Batman is likely at the very least investigating the new Kingpin of crime in Gotham City.
The Penguin Is Gunning For Mayor Bella Reál
Here’s another plotline I would fully expect to pop up in The Batman Part II. Before the ending of the episode flipped everything on its head, Oz confronted Councilman Sebastian Hady (Rhys Coiro) in City Hall and made a deal with him. In exchange for getting Sofia Gigante (Cristin Milioti) arrested, Oz will keep helping out Hady and put him on the fast track to rise in power in the Mayor’s Office. And ominously, Oz notes that he might like to meet Mayor Bella Reál (Jayme Lawson) some day.
Hady tells Oz that Reál is building up an Anti-Corruption squad to take down the bad apples in the Gotham PD and throughout the government, so Oz would need to keep his nose clean. While Oz says, “As a f**king whistle, pal,” Oz almost immediately leads to the slaughter of multiple gang leaders. Before that, though, he sees Reál on a balcony in City Hall, and looks at her with a curious mixture of yearning and hunger.
What he has in mind for the Mayor? Unknown. Perhaps he does want to work with her. Or he thinks he can own the Mayor’s office, just like how he owns Hady. Or perhaps, similar to Batman Returns, or the Mayor Kingpin storyline Marvel is about to play out in Daredevil: Born Again, he wants to be Mayor himself. Whatever it is, it’s likely going to bring Oz in direct conflict with the earnest young mayor. Which again, is likely to bring Oz into conflict with Batman, as well.
Will Selina Kyle Meet Her Half-Sister Sofia Gigante?
While there likely won’t be The Penguin Season 2, here’s a plotline that could get picked up in The Batman Part II… Or in a spinoff Catwoman series. Sofia is back in Arkham, listless in her cell when Dr. Julian Rush (Theo Rossi) brings her a letter. He says it’s from her half-sister, Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz)… Which is true. Selina is the illegitimate daughter of Carmine Falcone (John Turturro in The Batman, Mark Strong on The Penguin), and Sofia is his legitimate daughter.
We don’t know what the letter says, but Sofia does smile enigmatically after reading it. Could this plot be picked up if Kravitz returns for The Batman Part II? For sure. But would it be more fun to thrust these half-siblings in a new situation, possibly in neighboring Blüdhaven — where Selina left for at the end of The Batman — in a TV series set after the movie? I’d say yes, but we’ll see what happens.
Will Francis Be Allowed To Die?
One of the more messed up things that happens at the end of the season is that Francis (Dierdre O’Connell) is left trapped in a vegetative state after a stroke… And Oz leaves her lying in the dark in his apartment, as a sort of horrifying trophy. This despite Oz promising her if this exact thing ever happened, he would kill her.
So will Francis be allowed to die in The Batman Part II? I’m going to say it’s likely that won’t happen, and in fact, Francis may not be referred to at all… Simply because it’s a lot of plot baggage to throw in the movie, from the show. This is texture provided to The Penguin that you can know if you’ve seen the TV show; or not, if you haven’t.
Hey, happy to be wrong here, because I feel awful for Francis. But we’ll see what happens.
Will Dr. Julian Rush Turn Out To Be Scarecrow, Or Hugo Strange, Or Is He Just A Weirdo With A Red Light?
Here’s another one we probably won’t get resolution on, but… Seriously, what is Dr. Julian’s deal? He has his bizarre red hypnotizing light. He loves Sofia like how Harley Quinn loves The Joker. But otherwise, will be ever see him again? Is he secretly another villain, as speculated? Or just a weirdo?
Julian… You don’t have to turn on the red light. Just tell us what your deal is.
The Batman Part II is scheduled to premiere in theaters on October 2, 2026.
Where To Watch The Penguin:
Listen to Sons Of A Gunn:
Discover more from Comic Book Club
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.