Few shows this year have caused as much of a stir as The Penguin. The HBO series received consistent acclaim while it was on the air, and it seemed to win over both die-hard DC Comics fans and casual viewers alike. That said, The Penguin never really got around to answering the one question fans kept asking across its eight episodes. That question, of course, was: Where’s Batman?
Oz Cobb (Colin Farrell) causes some noisy trouble in The Penguin, but his actions seemingly never catch the attention of Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson). That’s a reality even the series’ biggest fans have found hard to accept. Those viewers will, therefore, likely be curious to hear The Batman director and Penguin executive producer Matt Reeves’ long-awaited explanation for the Dark Knight’s absence from the HBO series.
In an interview with Digital Spy, Reeves revealed that Batman is too caught up dealing with the aftermath of The Riddler’s attacks at the end of The Batman to pay enough attention to Oz Cobb in The Penguin. “This was a time of great turmoil in the city, it’s literally the week after what happened,” Reeves noted. “Much of the city is in desperation, so police can’t get everywhere, there’s crime everywhere, it’s a very, very dangerous time. [Batman’s] out there trying to grapple with the aftermath of everything that happened, which to some degree he blames himself for.”
The notion that Batman is simply too busy to address Oz’s criminal ascension may not satisfy certain Penguin fans, especially considering that Oz’s war with Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) ultimately leads to multiple shootouts, deaths, and a high-profile bombing. To be fair to Reeves, though, The Batman does end with its hero deciding to take a more active role in helping the city actually heal from its many setbacks, scandals, and losses. Him dedicating his first few weeks after The Riddler’s attacks to helping Gotham and its officials get back on track makes a fair amount of sense with that in mind.
While Batman never actually appears in The Penguin, either, the HBO series’ final shot does show the Bat Signal lighting up not far from Oz’s new penthouse apartment. That image suggests that Oz hasn’t just slipped out of Batman’s view. On the contrary, it’s possible his actions throughout The Penguin actually did catch the Dark Knight’s attention after all. Either way, viewers will likely get to see his response to Oz’s rise when The Batman Part II finally hits theaters in 2026.
The Penguin is now streaming on Max. The Batman Part II is set to hit theaters on October 2, 2026.
Some of the best shots in Grok Imagine’s AI-made Odyssey don’t contain actors. Ancient landscapes stretch into the distance. Close-ups of grimy hands suggest people who have touched something rougher than a keyboard. For a few seconds, the illusion holds.
https://twitter.com/imagine/status/2113712964419063911
YouTube videos could soon look better without eating quite so much data, right? Thankfully, the platform plans to introduce a new video format called AV2 on its web player in early 2027, promising more efficient streaming and potentially fewer playback hiccups on slower internet connections. The big headline is a roughly 30% improvement in compression efficiency over AV1, YouTube's existing video format. That doesn't guarantee every video will use 30% less data, but it could make streaming a little easier on both internet connections and data allowances.
What is AV2, and why should viewers care?
YouTube is changing how its Home page works, giving viewers more control over what shows up there and making some of the app’s most-used sections easier to reach. Custom Feeds are now replacing the existing topic chips for eligible users, while YouTube is also testing a redesigned top bar on mobile that moves Subscriptions closer to the Home feed.
YouTube first started experimenting with Custom Feeds earlier this year, letting you type out what you wanted to watch and turning that request into its own stream of recommendations. Now, the feature is starting to look less like a side experiment and more like something YouTube actually wants people to use as part of their everyday Home page.