The Penguin showrunner debunks major fan theory – so what do those finale clues mean?

That's because eagle-eyed viewers noticed a couple of intriguing props in the background of his office – namely a glove and a mask that bear an uncanny resemblance to those that have formed part of The Scarecrow's iconic costume in past Batman media.

However, showrunner LeFranc has now poured cold water on that theory, telling ScreenRant at the Golden Globes: "Well, I can say he's not the Scarecrow".

Considering the costume items shown in the finale episode, and the fact that Jonathan Crane is usually depicted as a psychiatrist obsessed with the effects of fear on the human mind, that'll be a big surprise to fans.

LeFranc's comment seems pretty final – but surely the inclusion of those costume pieces can't be a coincidence.

Reading into what she's said, the showrunner only ruled out Dr Julian Rush being the Scarecrow – not that the iconic character won't appear at all in either future The Batman films or potential future seasons of The Penguin.

So, perhaps Julian Rush has a link to The Scarecrow instead. Perhaps they could end up being a client of his, much like Sofia Falcone.

In fact, could we end up seeing Julian Rush become the therapist of various iconic Batman villains?

Maybe the Scarecrow will be a friend or family member of Julian Rush's. Considering the placement of the items in Julian Rush's office, maybe he was a mentor. The possibilities are still almost endless despite LeFranc's recent remarks.

Currently, a season 2 of The Penguin is still up in the air – although LeFranc has said there are "more stories to tell" should they find the right characters and story.

Previously chatting to RadioTimes.com about the possibility of a return to Oz Cobb, Farrell said he would "absolutely" be up for more.

He added: "It was only ever envisioned as an eight-hour limited series, but it's gone pretty well and I would imagine when things tend to go well, people tend to want to revisit them.

"If they came up with an amazing way to do another eight hours, and if it fit in primarily to Matt Reeves' vision, because this whole show really had to work with being born of The Batman film and also being kind of a cartilage to the second film, which I haven't read yet...

"Matt's the wizard of this whole universe. So Lauren LeFranc [showrunner] and her team of writers, myself, Mike Marino [makeup/prosthetic artist], when we were deciding that the Penguin would look the way he did, we all have to be in step with what Matt's vision is.

"So if Matt wants to do a second season, for sure, I'd consider it, yeah. [But] by the end of this I'd had my fill! I know I was bitching about not having enough in the first film, but I'm good now. I've been at the table for long enough. It was amazing, but it's quite a thing."

The Penguin is available to watch on Sky and NOW.

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