The Penguin creators devastate fans as they reveal major star won't appear besides Colin Farrell

With Colin Farrell set to reprise his role as The Penguin , one important character from the franchise will not be making a comeback.

The Penguin, a television spinoff of 2022 film The Batman , is set to premiere Sept. 19 on HBO. It will run for eight episodes.

Farrell took on the role of Oswald Cobblepot, or The Penguin, in the 2022 movie, and he’s set to return for the new show. Batman himself, played by Robert Pattison, will not make an appearance, however.

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Showrunner Lauren LeFranc told SFX Magazine: ““I understand why people’s desire would be to have Batman, or to think that unless Batman’s in a show or a film then it doesn’t have the same punch.

“To me I think it packs a different punch. Matt’s films are through the lens of the Batman, so you’re high up, looking down on the city. It’s a different perspective. With Oz, you’re in the city streets, you’re in the grit and the muck and the grime. He’s looking up, wanting to claw his way to the top.”

She explained that the city of Gotham has several interesting facets to explore in the show. The series will provide a different perspective from the usual look at the beloved franchise.

Matt Reeves, director of The Batman, agreed that nothing will be missing without Batman’s presence throughout the episodes.

He said: “You’re going down a different alley. So the spectre of Batman is there. The spectre of the Riddler is there. The spectre of everything that happens in the last movie is there. It informs it. And it’s exactly where we begin.”