Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Penguin episode 4, “Cent’Anni.”
I’m even more sad that DC’s planned series focused on Arkham Asylum has been canceled afterThe Penguinepisode 4. Taking place adjacent to the mainstreamDC Universe, Matt Reeves’The Batmanintroduced a new version of Arkham Asylum, named Arkham State Hospital, where a number of notable Batman villains are incarcerated. WhileThe Batman’sexploration of Arkham was brief, I loved seeing the movie’sfirst spinoff series,The Penguin, providing a much more detailed look inside the notorious institution.
DC Comics' Arkham Asylum, otherwise known as the Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane, was first introduced in 1974’sBatman #258. A forensic psychiatric hospital,Arkham Asylum has been home to some of DC’s most sinister, and some of my favorite, villains, most commonly those in Batman’s rogues gallery, as Arkham is located in Gotham City. The institution has been heavily featured in Batman’s live-action stories, but the version ofArkham Asylum inThe Batmanand, more recently, inThe Penguin, is the darkest iteration yet.
The Penguin’s Arkham Asylum Is Better Than I Imagined
The Penguin Episode 4 Explored Sofia Falcone’s Time In Arkham Asylum
AfterThe Batmangave us a glimpse inside Arkham Asylum,The Penguin’sepisodic format meant that the institution could be explored in more detail.The Penguinepisode 4, “Cent’Anni,” lived up to this promise, as Sofia Falcone’s story of being falsely imprisoned and broken down in Arkham Asylum was told.Cristin Milioti’s performance inThe Penguinepisode 4 made me incredibly happy, and left me wanting to see more of Arkham, though I’m not sure whether the series will take us back there, as Sofia is no longer imprisoned.
Batman: Every Live-Action Arkham Asylum Ranked
There have been several live-action adaptations of the iconic Arkham Asylum, housing Gotham’s most notorious criminals and Batman’s deadliest foes.
Relying heavily on the dark tones and grounded textures that Matt Reeves established in 2022’sThe Batman,The Penguin’sversion of Arkham Asylum was seriously intense. Watching the torturous treatment of Arkham’s inmates by its twisted staff, and seeing the desperation of some of the more troubled residents was terrifying and heartbreaking.This version of Arkham Asylum is my favorite ever brought to screen, so I would love to see it explored further in the future, which makes me disappointed thatDC Studios' Arkham-centric serieshas been canceled.
The Arkham Asylum Series Was Set To Explore The Institution Of The DC Universe
Back in March 2022, Matt Reeves confirmed that a series focused entirely on the Arkham Asylum of his universe established inThe Batmanwas in development. Reeves revealed toThe Cyber Nerdsthatthe Arkham series would build on its introduction inThe Batmanand explore the origins of several characters related to the institution, leaning into the idea of Arkham being a haunted house in a horror movie. In December 2023, however, James Gunn revealed theArkham series would be set in the rebooted DC Universe, which confused me a little.
It didn’t make sense to me that the Arkham Asylum series would be set in the DC Universe after the institution was first established in Matt Reeves’The Batmanfranchise. Nevertheless,Varietyreported in July 2024 that theArkham Asylum series has been canceled. At first, I didn’t mind this so much, but now thatThe Penguinepisode 4 has provided a deeper look insideThe Batman’sArkham Asylum,I’m very sad that the series focused on the institution, whether in the DC Universe orThe Batman’suniverse or elsewhere, won’t be produced.
Arkham Asylum Already Has Several Inmates That Deserve Development
The Batman Franchise’s Arkham Asylum Has Some Powerful & Terrifying Residents
The history of Arkham Asylum inThe Batmanfranchise is a long and dark one, with many former and present inmates already being known, some of whom are notable characters from DC Comics. Former inmates of this version of Arkham Asylum include Sofia Falcone and the deceased Abby andMagpie fromThe Penguinepisode 4. Long before the Riddler found himself imprisoned in Arkham, his mother was incarcerated there, and she met her demise within its walls.Batman’s own mother, Martha Wayne, née Arkham, also spent years in and out of Arkham Asylum, which belonged to her own family.
An Arkham Asylum-set series could have also revealed more about the twisted staff working in the institution, including the likes of founder Amadeus Arkham, T. Ryder Smith’s Doctor Ventris and Theo Rossi’s psychiatrist, Julian Rush.
While there are likely many other former residents of Arkham Asylum that I’d love to see developed in live-action, the institution’s current inmates also need to be reintroduced.Paul Dano’s Edward Nashton, a.k.a. the Riddler, was incarcerated in Arkham inThe Batmanafter waging his war against Gotham’s elite. In Arkham, Nashton met another mysterious inmate, initially known as “Unseen Arkham Prisoner,” but soon confirmed to be theJoker, played by Barry Keoghan. I am desperate for Keoghan’s Joker to get developed further, and an Arkham Asylum-set series would have created the perfect opportunity.
The Penguin Proves More The Batman Spinoffs Should Be Produced
The Penguin Has Become One Of DC’s Most Successful & Popular Projects
So far,The Penguinis the only spinoff fromThe Batmanto complete production and be released. However,the series' huge success and immediate popularity makes me convinced that even more spinoffs and sequels will be developed. While Matt Reeves works on theupcomingThe Batman - Part II, there have also been discussions about a number of new TV shows focused on other villains from Batman’s rogues gallery. These include the likes of Scarecrow, Clayface and Professor Pyg, according toThe Hollywood Reporter.
New The Batman Spinoff Show Teased Two Months Before Next Release By DC Producer
As The Batman universe is getting ready to expand on the small screen, another spinoff series is revealed to be in the works for the DC series.
Before an Arkham Asylum series was put into development, work had started on aseries centered on the Gotham City Police Department. This series would have taken place during the first year of Batman’s career, and would have focused on the corruption in the GCPD.This series ultimately fell apart, and was morphed into the Arkham series, which I was also sad to see canceled. Parts of these shows' stories were woven intoThe Penguin, and I reckon this has made the series even stronger, but I’d still love Arkham Asylum to be explored even more.
The Penguin
Cast
Created by Lauren LeFranc, The Penguin is a crime-drama spin-off television series of 2022’s film The Batman. Set shortly after the events of The Batman, Oz Cobb, A.K.A. the Penguin, begins his rise in the underworld of Gotham City as he contends with the daughter of his late boss, Carmine Falcone, for control of the crime family’s empire.
