Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for The Penguin episode 7. The Penguin set up an explosive finale, and the show has now given the perfect reason for Robert Pattinson’s Batman to appear. There was some doubt when Pattinson was first cast as Bruce Wayne. However, all of that disappeared after the actor showed he was one of the best live-action versions of Batman in director Matt Reeves’ The Batman. The DC movie was so good that new DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran are expanding on it with a universe of projects, allowing Reeves’ Batman franchise to be separate from the new DC Universe.

The first spinoff to come from Pattinson’s Batman debut is The Penguin. The DC series follows the events of The Batman‘s ending, showing the impact of Carmine Falcone’s death and the Gotham City flood unleashed by the Riddler. With Falcone dead, a battle for control of Gotham’s criminal underworld erupted. Returning from The Batman is Colin Farrell’s Oz Cobb. The character will appear again in The Batman‘s sequel, with Matt Reeves having said that The Penguin bridges the gap between the first film and The Batman – Part II‘s story. However, Batman himself is not present in The Penguin — so far.

Batman Has Been Conspicuously Absent From The Penguin So Far

The Dark Knight’s Whereabouts Are Unknown

Robert Pattinson has not appeared in The Penguin as Bruce Wayne or Batman. As the HBO series is heavily focused on Gotham City’s criminal underworld, it makes sense that the hero would take a backseat, but not featuring him at all is odd. While Bruce Wayne might not have fit the direction of the series, Batman’s absence from the show has raised many questions. At first, the silent war that Oz Cobb had against the Falcones in The Penguin was enough to be ignored, but the chaos has since grown exponentially.

Oz involved the Maronis, betrayed both crime families, and thrust Gotham into a major gang war. While The Penguin could have said that Batman is out there stopping criminals and members of both gangs, there was no such reveal, even offscreen. Batman’s absence has become notable during major events in The Penguin. While he could not interfere when Oz first killed Alberto Falcone, it made little sense for Batman not to show up when the entire Falcone family was murdered by Cristin Milioti’s Sofia Falcone. Salvatore Maroni breaking out of prison was another major event that called for Batman.

The Penguin’s Gotham Explosion Means Batman Can’t Stay Away Anymore

Gotham City Is In Chaos And It Needs The Batman

After missing major developments in Gotham’s gang war, The Penguin‘s latest episode brings an event that could be what finally forces Batman to appear in the DC series. The Penguin episode 7 gave Oz a major win, as he faced Sal Maroni and saw the character die from a heart attack as they fought. While Oz was victorious, he did not get his mother back, as she was being kept by Sofia Gigante, and to cap things off, Sofia sent a major bomb that exploded Oz’s drug operation and nearly took his life.

While Robert Pattinson’s Batman might not have been around for the prior steps in the war between Oz Cobb and Sofia Falcone/Gigante, a bomb has now exploded in the heart of Gotham. After the bomb exploded, Oz went out of the sewer and saw the major damage it had done to Crown Point, with several dead or hurt and rubble everywhere. Surely, if Batman was still around, then the Dark Knight would have to go there and appear in The Penguin‘s final episode, helping those hurt and taking out those who set off the bomb.

Will Batman Appear In The Penguin’s Finale?

Matt Reeves Has Talked About Batman’s Absence

While The Penguin episode 7’s bomb is the perfect setup for the Dark Knight to show up in the finale, Batman is unlikely to appear in The Penguin‘s final episode. The reason for that is the character’s absence was already addressed by The Batman universe creator Matt Reeves. Speaking with SFX Magazine, Reeves said that he does not “feel like it’s missing something fundamental” by not having Batman appear in The Penguin. The director also spoke about how Batman and Riddler’s actions in The Batman weigh on the show.

The Penguin Cast & Characters

Actor
Character

Colin Farrell
Oz Cobb / The Penguin

Cristin Milioti
Sofia Falcone

Rhenzy Feliz
Victor Aguilar

Michael Zegen
Alberto Falcone

Clancy Brown
Salvatore Maroni

Michael Kelly
Johnny Vito

Deirdre O’Connel
Francis Cobb

Theo Rossi
Dr. Julian Rush

The Penguin showrunner Lauren LeFranc echoed that sentiment. According to the showrunner, The Penguin packs a different punch by not having Batman, allowing itself to focus on Colin Farrell’s Oz Cobb “looking up, wanting to claw his way to the top.” While it makes sense that The Penguin team did not want to have Batman appear and overshadow Oz, it seems like they will have some work to explain why Bruce is absent as a bomb tears a hole in Gotham. The Penguin could take a page from the comics and reveal that Batman was not in Gotham.