Inside The Batman spin-off that was cancelled and replaced by The Penguin(Image: (Image: WARNER BROS/HBO))

Inside The Batman spin-off that was cancelled and replaced by The Penguin

The Batman spin-off series The Penguin will premiere on HBO and Sky Atlantic on Sunday, but it wasn't the only show from Matt Reeves' DC universe that was in development

by · The Mirror

The Penguin, a spin-off from The Batman, is finally hitting our screens this week, over two years after the release of the original film. However, HBO and Sky almost had a very different series on their hands.

Colin Farrell returns to his role as Oswald 'Oz' Cobb from the 2022 blockbuster, with the series following the aspiring crime lord as he capitalises on the chaos caused by the Riddler (played by Paul Dano).

After the death of Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), Penguin must team up with Falcone's children Alberto (Michael Zegen) and Sofia (Cristin Milioti) to establish a new order in Gotham's underworld.

But they'll constantly have the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD) and a certain Caped Crusader (Robert Pattinson) hot on their heels.

As Matt Reeves' DC Comics universe begins to grow, let's delve into the spin-offs that almost came to fruition, reports the Express.

A series based on Gotham's cops was canned by HBO( Image: (Image: WARNER BROS))

Before embarking on The Penguin, Reeves and his producing partner Dylan Clark were initially developing a spin-off focused on the GCPD.

It remains unclear which characters would have featured and who would have starred in the series, but it's highly likely that Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) would have had a significant role.

Regrettably, in March 2022 it was confirmed that the series had been shelved.

Instead, HBO and Warner Bros decided to concentrate on series based on existing comic book characters, although reportedly some of their ideas for the GCPD series were incorporated into The Penguin.

Despite Matt Reeves and Simon Clark's deep dive into Batman's iconic foes, plans for an Arkham Asylum-based series have been axed.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Reeves shared insights: "They were like, 'We like what you're doing, and we want to lean harder into the marquee characters.'"

But don't expect the Bat Signal to dim anytime soon. A sequel to The Batman is revving up, with a 2026 release on the horizon.

Plus, Reeves teased HBO's eager push towards fleshing out the caped crusader's arch-enemies.

More of Batman's rogues gallery could get their own series( Image: (Image: WARNER BROS))

In a chat with Digital Spy, he elaborated on the potential of the Gotham universe: "We are talking to HBO, in long-form, especially as the movies are so focused on being Batman's point of view, to have the real estate to really look into who these rogues gallery characters are."

Reeves added: "In the comics, the rogues gallery kinda makes themselves in response to this masked vigilante, so while it isn't his origin tale [The Batman], it refers to his origin it is their origin tale.

"You're seeing Oz, who's not yet the kingpin; you're seeing Selina, who's not yet Catwoman. You're seeing all of these characters."

Reeves concluded, voicing his excitement to partner with HBO: "So, the opportunity to look into how these characters come into being, and what that's about psychologically, that, to me, is something that is super-exciting to be able to explore with HBO."

Who would you like to see as the next villain after the Penguin?

The Penguin premieres Thursday, September 19 on HBO and the following Friday on Sky Atlantic and NOW.