I’m Convinced The Penguin Secretly Debuted The Batman Universe’s Version Of Scarecrow (& It Fixes The One Issue With The Finale)

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The Dark Knight"s Rogues" Gallery in Matt Reeves" The Batman universe is already impressively broad, and there may be another member already hiding in plain sight thanks to The Penguin. The DC spin-off introduced Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti), of course, as well as a significant number of new members of Gotham"s criminal underworld, including Clancy Brown"s Sal Maroni, and a brief but memorable cameo from DC Comics character Magpie (RIP).
Look a little closer at Lauren LeFranc"s excellent world, though, and there are significant hints at what the future of Bruce Wayne"s growing gallery of villains could look like in the upcoming The Batman: Part II. Colin Farrell"s Oz Cobb has already been proclaimed the new king of Gotham, the Riddler"s army are still vowing revenge against the city"s corrupt elite class, and The Penguin featured significant hints to the Court of Owls" existence in this universe.
Most intriguingly of all, though, is the major hint that The Penguin set up a new version of DC Comics villain Scarecrow, almost twenty years after Cillian Murphy debuted as his version in Batman Begins. That would bring up the possibility that Matt Reeves" upcoming sequel (or sequels, if the plan to make a trilogy materializes as expected) could pull in the Riddler, Joker, Penguin, Catwoman (albeit as an antihero), the Court Of Owls, and Scarecrow. That"s an incredible line-up, particularly with Robert Pattinson"s Batman struggling with his own vigilante mission.
Theo Rossi's Julian Rush Is The Best Scarecrow Replacement For The Batman: Part II Gotham's New Unstable Psychologist Has A Dark Side Close Before we get into concrete evidence here - and yes, it does exist - a bit of background is needed. When Theo Rossi"s Julian Rush was introduced in The Penguin as Sofia Falcone"s personal psychiatrist (and later paramour/adoring follower), lots of theories over his true identity inevitably followed. Was he a more famous DC character hiding in plain sight? Was his surname a nod to iconic - and crucially, unadapted - DC villain Rush?
In actual fact, his storyline in The Penguin positioned him as a sort of Harley Quinn replacement, falling in love with an inmate, transforming into a loyal subordinate, and expressing deeply concerning murderous tendencies for a medical professional. But there was always a nagging suspicion, in my mind at least, that his method of treatment felt like the perfect starting point for a new take on Scarecrow. Yes, he"s got a different name, but who cares these days? That would at least hide his identity.
It"s not exactly a like-for-like swap for Scarecrow"s Fear toxin, but it could have the same terrifying application.
Rush"s seemingly self-developed method of "curing" Sofia (and later unlocking Francis Cobb"s suppressed memories of Oz"s youth) is a light rig that effectively hypnotizes the patient with red lights. The Penguin never explicitly explores the dark potential of that technology, but it"s clear that it has the power to completely overwhelm anyone"s psyche, and allow Rush to invade their mind. It"s not exactly a like-for-like swap for Scarecrow"s Fear toxin, but it could have the same terrifying application.
Not only would Rush"s weapon (for that"s what it could be) give him access to the deepest fears of his potential victims, but it would also render them completely vulnerable. Think of how Francis Cobb"s "treatment" in the finale leads to her seeing her dead sons: that"s not a memory, it"s a horrifying hallucination that causes her to have a massive stroke. Throw in the fact that Arkham used drugs (the early version of Bliss) on patients, and there"s a clear path to Rush being Scarecrow.