Robert Pattinson Is Not In HBO's The Penguin, But It Was Considered

HBO's The Penguin is set in the universe of director Matt Reeves' The Batman, and many wondered if Robert Pattinson might appear in the TV show as Batman or Bruce Wayne. But he won't.

Reeves, who is an executive producer on the TV show, told Total Film that he sees himself as a "point-of-view filmmaker," and that didn't leave room for Batman or Bruce Wayne to appear in the show. At least not physically.

Batman does exist in the world, and the show is set against the backdrop of the events of what happened in the 2022 film The Batman, so his "presence" is felt, but Batman does not appear--nor does Paul Dano's Riddler.