Matt Reeves’ Batman world began in 2022 with the release of The Batman, a film that received incredibly well reviews and was met with praise for the filmmaker and its main star, Robert Pattinson.
Another actor who received plaudits for their performance in the film was Colin Farrell, who transformed his appearance in order to play the Penguin, aka Oswald Cobblepot. The interest in Farrell’s take on this classic Batman villain is high, so much so that the first spin-off of Reeves’ film will be the Penguin series on HBO, which is said to take place soon after the events of last year’s film and will follow up the flood and destruction caused by The Riddler, along with the death of Carmine Falcone and the mob fallout that is bound to ensue. Because of that, and the fact that the trailer labeled Reeves’ world as The Batman Saga, it seems that The Penguin show might be necessary viewing prior to the release of The Batman: Part II.
What is The Penguin About?
Plot details on The Penguin are relatively scarce at the moment, but interviews from Colin Farrell and Matt Reeves, along with the first trailer for the show, do give some ideas as to where the story is headed. Reeves has stated that The Penguinseries will follow up the events of the flood that occurred in the third act of The Batman, and that Colin Farrell’s villain will now want to be the main mob boss in Gotham following the death of Carmine Falcone. That might be harder than he initially realized, however, especially with the appearance of Sofia Falcone in the show. The daughter of Carmine Falcone will be played by Cristin Milioti, and she’s said to play a big role in the series. Various reputable outlets that reported Milioti’s casting also stated that she will be in opposition to The Penguin, perhaps fighting for control of the city of Gotham from Farrell’s scarred looking villain.
Some recent set photos have also shown Sofia Falcone and the Penguin together, and this won’t be the first time that these characters have appeared in the same show. Penguin and Falcone both appeared in Gotham on Fox, the prequel series that showed the rise of Batman and his most famous villains. That show had a substantial mob plot presence throughout, which was a continuing storyline and showed the battle for control of Gotham. It seems that Reeves might be tapping into that show for inspiration for The Penguin.
Therefore, it seems that the plot of The Penguin show will certainly feature a continuation of many of the storylines that first appeared in The Batman, so there’s clearly an ongoing continuity and broader story that is being told. As it is The Batman Saga, the plot is focused primarily on Robert Pattinson’s hero but could also branch out to villains like Penguin, Joker, and more, and these stories could be important overall as there continues to be an overarching narrative throughout.
Will The Penguin Be Essential Viewing Before The Batman 2?
Not much is known about The Batman: Part II so far. Some fans have speculated that it will feature Mister Freeze as the villain, particularly as Matt Reeves stated in interviews for the first film that he would like the character to feature in this world at some point in the future. Reeves also stated that he finds the challenge of modernizing and adapting Mister Freeze into a more grounded villain to be an enticing one. That would be a far cry from the way in which the character was portrayed in Batman and Robin, where he was played by Arnold Schwarzenegger in a very comical and lighthearted performance. Reeves has even gone on to tease that Freeze could be the main villain of this upcoming sequel.
Despite the potential presence of Mister Freeze, other iconic Batman villains will surely have a huge part to play once again. One of these will, of course, be The Penguin, particularly after the release of his show on HBO. Ultimately, the tease of a broader narrative that will stretch throughout this DC saga means that the events of The Penguin show are likely to be an integral part of the story of The Batman: Part II. Farrell’s character went from a pawn in Falcone’s mob organization to a key player of his own, so it’s possible that his growth to the top will continue in his own show and will be important in the upcoming film.
When Does The Penguin Premiere?
The Penguin is yet to be given an official release date, but HBO and Warner Bros. have stated that it will premiere on Max sometime in 2024. Filming began on the show in March of this year and is said to continue until July, so there’s still quite a bit of production work to be done before returning to the editing room and putting the whole show together. This 2024 release is also said to have eight episodes in total, meaning that there is plenty of time to build out this new world of Gotham City and the character of the Penguin.