Summary
In what might come as a major letdown for fans of the TV show,The Penguinshowrunner, Lauren LeFranc, recently cleared the air on the true identity of a particular character, Theo Rossi’s Dr. Julian Rush, and a fan theory that he might actually be one of Batman’s most notorious villains,Scarecrow.
A scene in Episode 4 ofThe Penguin, “Cent’Anni,” teased fans with a shot of what seemed to be the silhouette of Scarecrow’s syringe gloves and sack mask on the working desk of Dr. Julian Rush, Arkham therapist of Sofia Falcone. This subtle detail sparked widespread excitement and theories about his potential evolution into the infamous villain in later episodes. However, as the season progressed, nothing of that sort materialized andThe Penguinended with the character having no significant addition to the plot. Viewers have since tagged the anti-climax to bea waste of Julian Rushand the only chink in the armor of an otherwise flawless TV show.
Dr. Julian Rush Is Not Scarecrow
Speaking toScreenranton the red carpet of the recently concluded Golden Globe Awards—where Irish actor Colin Farell bagged an award for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Limited Series for his role as Oswald Cobb inThe Penguin—LeFranc laid to rest the “Julian Rush/Scarecrow” fan theory with the words:“Well, I can say he’s not the Scarecrow.”
For fans of bothThe Penguinand Scarecrow—whose last appearance on the big screen was nearly twenty years ago, played byCillian Murphy in Christopher Nolan’sBatman Begins—Lefranc’s words add salt to injury. Even without the visual hint of the signature glove and mask on Rush’s desk in Episode 4, the latter’s demeanor and actions suggested ulterior motives ripe for exploration in future episodes. Besides, there are glaring similarities between the character and the comic Jonathan Crane (Scarecrow), one such being that both are psychiatrists who manipulate their subjects or victims by mastering the art of fear exploitation. The placement of Scarecrow’s symbolic items only fueled speculation that Rush might be operating under an alias.
LeFranc’s debunking aids the counter-theory that the glove and mask are merely set equipment carelessly forgotten during filming, an idea further strengthened by the fact that they weren’t on his desk when the audience first meets Sofia in Rush’s office. Still, it’s hard to dismiss their presence as a mere coincidence, given the unmistakable outline of the iconic gloves and mask. The inclusion may well have been deliberate, with the character intended to be Scarecrow—or at least a version of him—that is, before a creative U-turn stomped the concept.
Regardless, the attention to detail given by the creators of the TV show is every reason to believe that Rush’s skin-deep character was made so for a reason. With him and Sofia reunited in Arkham at the end of Season 1, and plans forSeason 2 ofThe Penguinhinted by Matt Reeves, there is still room for other possibilities for Rush, such as Dr. Hugo Strange, a DC psychiatrist not unlike Scarecrow.
The Penguin
Cast
Created by Lauren LeFranc and starring Colin Farrell, The Penguin builds on 2022’s The Batman. The Max series chronicles the eponymous villain’s attempt to reach Gotham’s criminal peak, rising through the underworld in the middle of a power struggle.
