How good was “The Penguin,” when it was all said and done? Well, let’s put it this way: The worst thing about it had absolutely nothing to do with the actual show itself. Despite going into the “The Batman” spinoff with more than my fair share of skepticism, the rave reviews of Oz Cobb’s (Colin Farrell) twisted path to becoming the kingpin of Gotham City following the events of director Matt Reeves’ blockbuster proved the doubters emphatically wrong. Thanks in no small part to the genuinely inspired casting of Cristin Milioti as fellow sociopathic partner in crime Sofia Falcone, the two leads elevated the series to greater heights. But despite the obvious quality of writing on display throughout every episode, one nagging detail ended up becoming a distraction for a very specific circle of viewers — what the heck was up with Dr. Julian Rush?
The new character played by actor Theo Rossi (“Luke Cage,” “Emily the Criminal,” and most recently “Carry-On”) was introduced early on in “The Penguin” as something of a wild card, serving as Sofia’s personal psychiatrist with a slightly unhealthy attachment to the recently-committed villain. Several flashbacks revealed that he had been in the employ of Arkham Asylum years in the past and was partly responsible for the horrific “treatment” unleashed upon Sofia during her imprisonment. He went on to add several crucial layers to the mentally unbalanced antagonist once she was freed, including a touch of the erotic with his, ah, submissive roleplaying in later episodes.
Despite everything adding so much to the series, however, certain fans simply couldn’t wrap their minds around an original creation (who, by the way, helped reinforce all those “The Sopranos” parallels). No, speculation pinpointed him as the classic Batman villain Dr. Jonathan Crane/the Scarecrow. Setting aside my personal distaste for this mindset — sometimes, a character is allowed to exist without needing any connection to pre-established DC lore – no less an authority than showrunner Lauren LeFranc has officially debunked this weirdly pervasive fan-theory.
Sorry, fans: Julian Rush wasn’t actually the Scarecrow in The Penguin
Folks, it’s time to hold an intervention. I get it — this particular fan-theory didn’t come out of thin air. To be fair, one particular episode of “The Penguin” sure seemed like it was hinting at the idea that there was something more behind the identity of Dr. Julian Rush, with what appeared to be a mask and a glove appearing on the not-so-good doctor’s desk. That would be pretty damning evidence … if only this were any other series than “The Penguin” and set in any other universe than the world of “The Batman,” where everything is presented more or less exactly as they appear. Would the Marvel Cinematic Universe or even Zack Snyder’s DC Universe have pulled a stunt like this? Probably! But I’d like to believe that Matt Reeves and his carefully-chosen creative team are above such plot twists.
In any case, we can now point to “The Penguin” creator, showrunner, and writer Lauren LeFranc as the final word on this. In an interview with ScreenRant while walking the red carpet for the 2025 Golden Globes ceremony last night, LeFranc addressed the fan-theory with refreshing bluntness:
“Well, I can say he’s not the Scarecrow.”
Talk about a definitive answer! I can understand why many would’ve hoped that his presence was leading to something much bigger, especially considering that a new psychedelic drug like Bliss already factored into the series and that his occupation (not to mention suspicious motives) certainly lined up with the Scarecrow. But much of this theorizing stemmed from the wrongheaded idea that characters must exist solely to advance the plot, rather than uncover new angles and new flavors to our leads that we never would’ve seen otherwise. Not everyone needs to secretly be a major figure in franchise lore, people!
Now that we’ve put that to rest, please spare a thought and prayer to everyone who was convinced that poor, doomed Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz) was actually, uh, Mr. Freeze all along.
