DC’s new spinoff series The Penguin is gearing up for a chilling drop on September 19, 2024. The show is a spinoff of The Batman, directed by Matt Reeves. The primary ethos of the series will be villainy and Penguin’s monstrous origin story.
Colin Farrell will reprise his role as the demented and devious antagonist, hungry for power. To recap the 2022 Reeves franchise, the movie explored a more raw and angry version of the caped crusader. Not that Batman was much of a happy person, but previous renditions have exhibited a soft side to him.
Well, Reeves completely takes that away - there are no soft corners, no romance (with Catwoman), no people rejoicing about the vigilante saving them yet. It’s darkness personified with a side order of mayhem, and some classic action that Reeves perfectly encapsulates.
The Penguin is set in the aftermath of the intentional flood caused by Riddler. With Gotham basically at its knees due to the flood, The Penguin sees it as a golden opportunity. Here’s what will make The Penguin a rather interesting watch for viewers.
Disclaimer: This article is solely based on the author's opinions. Reader discretion is advised.
Reasons The Penguin is going to be an worthy spinoff of The Batman
1) The Penguin is a bridge between The Batman 1 & 2
Yup, you’ve read that right! The Penguin will continue to explore a series of events after Batman attempts to thwart Riddler’s plans while failing to prevent complete flooding. With the less fortunate in shambles as a result of the flood, gears in the Penguin's head turn for something sinister.
It will get quite gloomy and gory until a certain bat-dressed crusader appears at the last minute to retake his territory in The Batman 2. Robert Pattinson’s version of The Dark Knight will return to the big screen on October 2, 2026.
2) The Penguin is going by 'Ozz Cobb' instead of his real name
The Penguin’s real name per comics is ‘Oswald Cobblepot.’ It looks like makeup isn’t the only thing different about Ferell this year. The notorious DC villain will be addressed as ‘Oz Cobb’ in the series. This is rather surprising news, especially since DC seldom changes names.
He’s still The Penguin, no doubt, but it appears that in the Reevesverse, he’ll be renowned as ‘Oz Cobb’ or the megalomaniac Penguin. A villain who lacks the words mercy, patience, and remorse in his dictionary.
3) Collin Farrell will return as The Penguin
Colin Farrell has embodied antagonists before, but not well, a demented, manipulative, and power-hungry freak! That being said, he’s going to be back as ‘The Penguin’ in the upcoming HBO Max show. An impressive and noteworthy feat of Farrell in The Penguin is undoubtedly the prosthetics.
Reeves has maintained the ethos of reality when it comes to Penguin’s look. Instead of the comical pointy noes, sharp teeth, a monocle (it’s not the steampunk era anymore), and a top hat, Farrell has a more realistic pointed nose, is more chubby and buff-looking, and has a very mafia-aesthetic closet.
4) Batman will NOT appear in The Penguin
As disappointing as it sounds, this is no joke and has been confirmed by the series director. Gotham’s vigilante will not be making an appearance on The Penguin. The trailer doesn’t even drop an easter egg let alone drop his name in it.
Given the timeline of Bruce Wayne’s origin as Batman, he should very well be en route to meet with a very peculiar band of assassins in disguise (Ra's Al Ghul). The dark knight may just appear in a snippet towards the end of the series after the credits are rolled to signify the bridge between the two movie installments.
5) The Maroni-Falcone dynamics
The Penguin will heavily emphasize the dynamics between two big bad organized crime groups of Gotham: Falcone and Maroni. Both gangs are hungry for a top spot in Gotham and will stoop to any extreme to get there. Although Carmine is gone, his daughter Sofia will take charge of the Falcone group and its activities, causing chaos for The Penguin.
Maroni on the other hand has done some unspeakable things in the comics. Reeves’ rendition of the character is highly anticipated.
6) The Hangman will appear in The Penguin
Reeves has introduced yet another villain DC fans didn’t expect to see in The Penguin. Given his storyline, it only makes sense they introduced ‘The Hangman’ a.k.a Sofia Falcone. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree because, like her dad Carmine, she’s impulsive, eccentric, and ruthless.
She frankly couldn’t care less about The Penguin and is beyond capable of murdering him. She simply chooses not to for reasons which will be revealed on the show. While not much is known about her character, one thing is certain: the girl can raise hell!
The Penguin will air on HBO Max from September 19, 2024 and will conclude on Novmber 4, 2024.
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