This fall, Max’s original series The Penguin will help bridge the gap between The Batman and The Batman Part II. However, the second planned spin-off series centered on Arkham Asylum is no longer going forward at Max.
Via Variety, Arkham Asylum was intended to be Max’s second series in The Batman’s continuity. Antonio Campos was previously attached to Arkham Asylum as the writer and the showrunner in 2022. But after two years of development, Max has elected to not go forward with Campos’ version of the show. While the outlet notes that a separate Arkham Asylum series could eventually go forward at Max, the show as originally conceived is dead for now.
Before the second spin-off from The Batman was centered on Arkham Asylum, it was originally announced as a show that would focus on the Gotham City Police Department. In 2020, Boardwalk Empire creator Terrence Winter was signed to write and executive produce the series before he left the project over creative differences. Winter’s successor, Joe Barton, also left the spin-off for the same reason.
In 2022, the series was reconceived to focus on Arkham Asylum, the high-security mental health facility that houses many of Batman’s most dangerous foes. While appearing on The Cyber Nerds, The Batman director Matt Reeves described the spin-off series as “What would happen in the world of Arkham as it relates coming off of our movie and some of the characters and their origins… almost leaning into the idea of… it’s like a horror movie or a haunted house that is Arkham. The idea, again the way that Gotham is a character in the movie, I really want Arkham to exist as a character. You go into this environment and encounter these characters in a way that feels really fresh.”
Presumably Reeves will still use Arkham Asylum in The Batman Part II, which will hit theaters on October 2, 2026.
