HBO could be returning to Gotham’s streets again very soon. Following the success of The Penguin, the television spin-off of Matt Reeves’ film The Batman, the American network and DC Studios have joined forces with its creator, Lauren LeFranc, to develop a new TV series focused on another renowned villain of the city, the plant-loving Poison Ivy. According to initial details, this time the project will not be set within the narrative universe crafted by Reeves, which is set to receive a second film, The Batman 2, slated for release in 2028.
Who is Poison Ivy?
In DC Comics’ Batman-centric universe, Poison Ivy is the alter ego of Dr. Pamela Isley, a remarkably talented botanist who gains the extraordinary power to control and manipulate plants and who, later, becomes an eco-terrorist in Gotham. Since her first appearance in 1966, Poison Ivy has evolved into a central figure among the Dark Knight’s adversaries, and onscreen she was memorably portrayed by Uma Thurman in the 1997 film Batman & Robin.
Even on television, Poison Ivy is no stranger, although she has never had a standalone series. She has appeared frequently across various animated productions, including Batman (the 1992 series), Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and Harley Quinn, and she was brought to life by Bridget Regan in the third season of Batwoman and by three different actresses—Clare Foley, Maggie Geha, and Peyton List—as the character aged within Gotham.
The HBO project remains in a nascent stage and many details are still unrevealed, including which actress will don the character’s mantle in this rendition. The aim, clearly, is to replicate the success of the 2024 miniseries The Penguin, which was highly appreciated by both audiences and critics, earning nine Emmy nominations and including Cristin Milioti’s win for her portrayal of Sofia Falcone. If given the go-ahead, it would mark the fifth live-action series from DC Studios’ revamped lineup, following The Penguin, Peacemaker, the recent Lanterns, and the still-unrevealed The People v. Gorilla Grodd.
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