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Why Were Batman Spin-offs Canceled? Matt Reeves Reveals Real Reason
The Batman director Matt Reeves finally revealed why two planned Batman spin-offs were canceled at HBO as Colin Farrell’s standalone show The Penguin is set to debut on Max.
Matt Reeves who delivered a stunning elsewhere movie The Batman in 2022, has now shared why the follow-up planned series at HBO was shelved. Starring Robert Pattinson as Gotham’s Caped Crusader, Reeves proved everyone wrong reserving the immaculate success for his film. However, the expansion of his Batman universe would be far more fascinating with the show that never saw the light of day.
Matt Reeves shared why Batman spin-offs were canceled
Matt Reeves recently gave a name to his own cinematic franchise existing in the DC outskirt, calling his DC Universe Batman Epic Crime Saga which has and seemingly always will be centering around Batman and his iconic villains. While Warner Brothers (the studio that owns DC Studios) were keen on expanding the universe two of the previously announced shows were canceled at HBO.
Based on the Gotham Police Department and Arkham Asylum, the HBO shows would further extend the immersive view of Gotham City, possibly keeping Batman in the picture. Of course, Colin Farrell’s stand-alone show The Penguin is set to debut on HBO and Max which is based on Reeves Universe. But Reeves finally dropped his comment on the spin-offs that were abandoned explaining that HBO executives wanted to keep Batman in the spotlight rather than highlighting other characters.
The Batman director recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly to reveal that while writing The Batman, he initially planned for a multi-project deal with Warner Bros. keeping ideas for a few shows in mind. “I think there are some cool shows that we could do,” he told the outlet. Further, the director shared that it was one of the primary reasons for his deal at Warner Bros. The studio responded saying, “'We like what you're doing, and we want to lean harder into the marquee characters.”
The Penguin will serve as the extension of the Batman epic crime saga
Despite the cancelation of the shows, the new HBO series The Penguin will serve as the extension of the Matt Reeves’ DC Universe. The director is quite excited to expand his franchise by adding the Lauren LeFranc-created show starring Colin Farrell as the titular Batman nemesis and Gotham Gangstar, Oswald Cobblepot.
However, Reeves said that the crux of the abandoned shows will not go into oblivion rather, The Penguin will appear as a merger of it highlighting the thematic essence of both shows. The Cobblepot-centered show is set one week after the events of The Batman connecting the dots or setting the tone for Reeves' upcoming and confirmed The Batman sequel.
The show follows Cobblepot who “makes a play to seize the reins of the crime world in Gotham,” as per the official logline. So far, the trailer and looks of the show have impressed fans making it one of the most anticipated shows of 2024 coming from DC. While the detailed plot is not known as of writing the piece, it is quite certain that the show will serve as an extensive projection of Gotham City and the grim crime scenario in the Reeves’ universe.
Reportedly, Pattinson’s Batman will also appear in the show, perhaps in a cameo which also confirms how Penguin will connect the narratives with the first and the sequel of The Batman.
The Penguin debuts HBO and Max on 8 September 2024.
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