Penguin’s biggest Batman fan theory has been debunked

How good was “The Penguin” when all was said and done? Well, let’s put it this way: the worst of it has absolutely nothing to do with the actual show itself. Although I went into “The Batman” spinoff with my fair share of doubts, Rave reviews Oz Cobb’s (Colin Farrell) twisty path to becoming the leader of Gotham City following the events of director Matt Reeves’ blockbuster proves the doubters conclusively wrong. Thanks in large part to the truly inspired casting of Cristin Milioti as fellow sociopathic partner in crime Sofia Falcone, the two leads take the series to greater heights. But despite the clear quality of writing that is on display throughout each episode, one disturbing detail eventually becomes a distraction for a very specific circle of viewers – what happened with Dr. Julian Rush?

The new character, played by Theo Rossi (“Luke Cage,” “Emily the Criminal,” and most recently, “Carry-On”), was introduced early in “The Penguin” as an unexpected character, serving as Sofia’s personal psychiatrist. With a slightly unhealthy attachment to the recently committed villain. Several flashbacks revealed that he had worked for Arkham Asylum years in the past and was partly responsible for the horrific “treatment” that Sofia endured while incarcerated. He continued to add several important layers to the mentally unbalanced opponent once she was released, including a touch of excitement with his phrases, uh, obedient Role-playing in later episodes.

Although it all adds a lot to the series, some fans simply couldn’t wrap their minds around the original creation (which, by the way, Help reinforce all those similarities to “The Sopranos.”). No, speculation has identified him as classic Batman villain Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow. Setting aside my personal distaste for this mentality — sometimes, a character is allowed to exist without needing any connection to pre-established DC lore — showrunner Lauren LeFranc has officially debunked this bizarrely widespread fan theory.

Folks, it’s time for an intervention. I get it – this particular fan theory didn’t come out of nowhere. To be fair, One episode of “The Penguin” certainly seemed to hint at the idea that there was something more Behind the identity of Dr. Julian Rush, with what appears to be a mask and glove appearing on the not-so-good doctor’s desk. This would be pretty damning evidence… if this were a series other than “The Penguin” and set in any other universe than “The Batman,” where everything is presented exactly as it appears. Could the Marvel Cinematic Universe or even Zack Snyder’s DC Universe have pulled off such a move? probably! But I’d like to believe that Matt Reeves and his hand-picked creative team are above such plot twists.

However, we can now point to The Penguin creator, showrunner and writer Lauren LeFranc as the final word on the matter. In an interview with ScreenRant While walking the red carpet for the 2025 Golden Globe Awards last night, LeFranc addressed the fan theory with refreshing candor:

“Well, I can tell it’s not a scarecrow.”

Talk about a specific answer! I can understand why many were hoping his presence would lead to something much bigger, especially considering that a new dope like Bliss had already been taken into account in the series and that his profession (not to mention questionable motives) certainly aligns with Scarecrow’s. But many of these theories stem from the mistaken idea that personalities He should They exist solely to advance the plot, rather than to reveal new angles and new flavors to our threads that we wouldn’t have seen otherwise. Not everyone has to secretly be a major character in franchise lore, people!

Now that we have put an end to this, please think and pray for everyone who was convinced of this Poor, distressed Victor Aguilar (Renzi Velez) He was actually Mr. Freeze the whole time.