The Penguin Showrunner Addresses Theory That Theo Rossi's Dr Julian Rush Is Actually Scarecrow

Showrunner Lauren LeFranc weighs in on The Penguin‘s Scarecrow fan theories, clearing up whether Sofia Falcone’s closest ally is actually the DC supervillain in secret. The Penguin‘s packed cast includes 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 Penguin episode 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’s The Batman universe’s version of the Scarecrow.

The Penguin is nominated for three awards at the 2025 Golden Globes. On the 2025 Golden Globes red carpet, The Penguin showrunner Lauren LeFranc talks to ScreenRant about the theories around Dr. Julian Rush’s Scarecrow identity. LeFranc offers a straightforward answer: “Well, I can say he’s not the Scarecrow”.

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 be The Batman universe’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 in The Batman franchise, at least for the time being.

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 during The Penguin episode 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 the Arkham video 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

Julian Rush meeting Sofia in The Penguin-1

The Penguin introduced 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 affect The Penguin‘s plot in any major way.

The Penguin could 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 Penguin could 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.

Oz kills Victor Aguilar in The Penguin finale and the Joker performs his pencil trick in The Dark Knight

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The Batman, The Penguin, and the canon comic book The Riddler: Year One don’t show their respective protagonists’ origin story, but they do cover the main aspects of their early days as vigilantes or criminals. The Penguin didn’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.

Sofia Falcone as seen in The Penguin (2024) next to the poster for The Batman (2022)

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Curiously, The Penguin also 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 in The Penguin. Bliss’ introduction in the same show as Dr. Julian Rush’s first appearance is an odd coincidence, too. If The Batman – Part II and The Batman – Part III were to feature Scarecrow, Julian Rush would be an excellent candidate for the role. The Batman changed the Riddler’s name from Edward Nigma to Edward Nashton, so it wouldn’t be a stretch to replace Jonathan Crane with Julian Rush in The Batman universe.

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