Showrunner Lauren LeFranc weighs in onThe Penguin’s Scarecrow fan theories, clearing up whether Sofia Falcone’s closest ally is actually theDCsupervillain in secret.The Penguin’s packed castincludes Theo Rossi’s Dr. Julian Rush — an Arkham psychiatrist who becomes infatuated with Sofia Falcone and helps her take over her family business once she’s released.The Penguinepisode 4 features a strange glove and mask in Julian Rush’s office. Considering that Rush is a psychiatrist with evil impulses, these objects seem like a strong indication that he’sThe Batmanuniverse’s version of the Scarecrow.
The Penguinis nominated for three awards at the 2025 Golden Globes. On the 2025 Golden Globes red carpet,The Penguinshowrunner Lauren LeFranc talks toScreenRantabout the theories around Dr. Julian Rush’s Scarecrow identity. LeFranc offers a straightforward answer:“Well, I can say he’s not the Scarecrow”.
What The Penguin Showrunner’s Scarecrow Theory Comment Means
Lauren LeFranc Has Shut Down The Penguin’s Scarecrow Theories
The parallels between Theo Rossi’s Dr. Julian Rush and DC Comics' Jonathan Crane are undeniable, from his psychology background to his possession of a needle-finger glove and a scarecrow-like mask. However,Lauren LeFranc’s comments provide a seemingly definitive stop to the theory that Julian Rush is or will ever beThe Batmanuniverse’s Scarecrow. Both Lauren LeFranc and Matt Reeves are very careful with every piece of information about the franchise they share, but LeFranc is very upfront in her response to the theory. Theo Rossi’s Julian Rush has no relation to Jonathan Crane inThe Batmanfranchise, at least for the time being.
Our Take On The Penguin Showrunner’s Scarecrow Theory Comment
The Penguin Makes It Really Difficult Not To Imagine Julian Rush As The Scarecrow
Evil characters are a dime a dozen in every version of Gotham, let alone any version of Arkham. Theo Rossi’s portrayal of Dr. Julian Rush as an evil Arkham doctor doesn’t provide enough proof in favor of a possible supervillain identity. However,the glove and the mask in Rush’s office duringThe Penguinepisode 4 look too similar to Scarecrow’s weapon and costume for it to be a simple coincidence. Scarecrow’s sack mask is unmistakable by itself, and the glove looks almost identical to the one the villain uses in theArkhamvideo game franchise.
Why So Many People Believed The Theory That The Penguin’s Dr Julian Rush Was Scarecrow
Julian Rush’s Role In The Penguin Seemed To Be Setting Up Something Bigger
The Penguinintroduced Dr. Julian Rush in Sofia Falcone’s flashbacks at Arkham, depicting him as a serious yet suspicious therapist. Shortly after, Rush reappeared in the present day. Rush’s suspicious attitude came from his desire to let out his violent desires similarly to Sofia, hence why he sought her to help her in her revenge plan against the Falcones. However, apart from some intense intimate encounters with Sofia,Julian Rush didn’t affectThe Penguin’s plot in any major way.
The Penguincould have had Dr. Julian Rush discover the Bliss drug while following Sofia Falcone’s operations
In the comics, Jonathan Crane is usually a psychologist or a psychiatrist obsessed with the origins and effects of fear on the human mind and body. Crane’s experiments go too far, and he becomes a full-fledged criminal. Crane adopts the Scarecrow moniker and teams up with other Gotham villains and former Arkham patients. Taking these events as inspiration,The Penguincould have had Dr. Julian Rush discover the Bliss drug while following Sofia Falcone’s operations, and either tease his newfound obsession with the drugs' effects or show him take it directly onscreen.
The Dark Knight Just Lost Its Crown For The Most Brutal DC Villain Scene
The Penguin finale breaks the record for the darkest and most brutal moment in any DC movie, surpassing The Dark Knight’s Joker scenes.
The Batman,The Penguin, andthe canon comic bookThe Riddler: Year Onedon’t show their respective protagonists' origin story, but they do cover the main aspects of their early days as vigilantes or criminals.The Penguindidn’t aim to serve as a prequel or an origin story for an adjacent Gotham supervillain like Scarecrow, though the seeds for a future villain identity for Theo Rossi’s Julian Rush have been planted. Julian Rush doesn’t have to be an explicit adaptation of DC Comics' Scarecrow, but he could eventually become a similar criminal.
The Batman’s Spin-Off Was Right To Avoid Its Best Villain Reveal Opportunity
Many villains from The Batman’s universe could have been introduced in the movie’s spin-off, yet the TV show made the right choice not to do so.
Curiously,The Penguinalso introduces a dangerous new fictional drug called “Bliss”, which floods its consumers with an overwhelming sense of fear. While Bliss also exists in the comics, its fear-related effects resemble Scarecrow’s fear toxic inThe Penguin. Bliss' introduction in the same show as Dr. Julian Rush’s first appearance is an odd coincidence, too. IfThe Batman - Part IIandThe Batman - Part IIIwere to feature Scarecrow, Julian Rush would be an excellent candidate for the role.The Batmanchanged the Riddler’s namefrom Edward Nigma to Edward Nashton, so it wouldn’t be a stretch to replace Jonathan Crane with Julian Rush inThe Batmanuniverse.
