Fans Think They've Spotted a Tease for Another Batman Villain in The Penguin

The Penguin Season 1 wrapped up this past Sunday and, while fans wait for more news in regards to Matt Reeves' Bat-verse, one eagle-eyed viewer has spotted what seems to be a tease for another Batman villain.

Credit to u/BebehBokChoy, who posted the observation on the subreddit dedicated to 2022's The Batman. It comes from a screenshot of The Penguin episode 4, where you can very quickly see a brown circular object that looks a lot like Scarecrow's mask and a glove that resembles his as well. Both are in Julian Rush's office.

A screenshot from The Penguin Episode 4 that features what looks like Scarecrow's mask and glove. (Screenshot credit: u/BebehBokChoy on Reddit)

It's not just the screenshot, either; u/BebehBokChoy makes the interesting observation that those objects are not present when we see Julian's office in episode 2. They point out that Sofia's appearance at Julian's office in episode 4 is a bit more unexpected: "It seems plausible, plot-wise, that Julian didn't have a chance to put these things away like he perhaps normally would if he knew someone else was going to be in his office," they note.

Whether it's a nod to a collaboration with Jonathan Crane (a.k.a Scarecrow), a tease for the future, or just a fun Easter Egg, fans largely seem to be in agreement that it's gotta be connected to the famous Batman villain. "That looks straight up like Scarecrow's syringe glove. And maybe even a rag mask," one commenter wrote. "Damn glad this wasn't spotted during the shows run or I would've been expecting a reveal."

For his part, Reeves has previously teased that he had ideas for other spinoffs in his Bat-verse. HBO and Max content boss Casey Bloys said earlier this week, however, that the network is more focused on what he might have planned next for The Penguin, with Season 2 still up in the air.

But for now, Reeves' focus is on The Batman - Part II, and it's possible that this tease could be set-up for that film. The Penguin, after all, did plenty to lay some background groundwork for the upcoming sequel, which is set to hit theaters on October 2, 2026.

For more in the meantime, check out our review of The Penguin Season 1 finale, which we called "a somewhat messy but ultimately thrilling" episode that "tops off Oswald Cobb’s origin story with a mix of thoughtful introspection and tantalizing fan service."

Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.