The Penguin is finally coming to screens this week more than two years after the release of The Batman - but HBO and Sky nearly had a very different spin-off on their hands. Starring Colin Farrell reprising his role as Oswald ‘Oz’ Cobb from the 2022 blockbuster, the series follows the aspiring crime lord as he takes advantage of the havoc wreaked by the Riddler (played by Paul Dano). Following the death of Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), Penguin must join forces with his children Alberto (Michael Zegen) and Sofia (Cristin Milioti) to establish a new order in Gotham’s underworld.

However, the criminals will constantly have the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD) on their tail as well as a certain Caped Crusader (Robert Pattinson). As Matt Reeves’ DC Comics universe begins to expand, let’s lift the lid on the spin-offs that very nearly came to be. Before starting work on The Penguin, Reeves and his producing partner Dylan Clark were originally developing a spin-off centred on the GCPD.

It’s unclear which characters would appear and who would star in the series, but it’s a strong possibility that Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) would have played a major role. Unfortunately, in March 2022 it was confirmed the series had been put on hold. Instead, HBO and Warner Bros would focus on series based on existing comic book characters, although reportedly some of their ideas for the GCPD series were rolled into The Penguin.

Despite Reeves and Clark’s commitment to exploring.