“The Penguin” (2024) is a new upcoming spinoff series of 2022’s “The Batman,” teased by HBO Max streaming services on April 12, where Colin Farrell reprises his role as the Penguin, or ‘Oz,’ as he is known in Matt Reeves’ Batman universe. It is a show designed to focus specifically on the character of the Penguin and his exploits in the city of Gotham post the events of “The Batman” (2022) to fill the power vacuum created in the city’s underworld after Falcone’s death. The plot of the series is set to feature the contest for power between the titular character and Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti), daughter of Carmine Falcone and a recurring villain in the Batman universe, in taking control over the city of Gotham, as the other crime families sort out their agendas in the wake of Falcone’s demise.
Release Date And Cast
Currently under production, no official release date of the series has been provided, but it is set to release on OTT platforms, sometime in 2024 and is rumored to be a sort of channel between the events of “The Batman” (2022) and its next installment “The Batman, Part II,” set to release on October 3, 2025. Apart from Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti, the show also stars Rhenzy Feliz of Marvel’s “Runaways,” Clancy Brown, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Michael Kelly, and Deirdre O’Connell, among others.
Colin Farrell resumes his role as the Penguin in the upcoming Max-series, “The Penguin”, which is no easy task, moreso as the character gets his own show and the spotlight will be on him at all times. Farrell is a flamboyant Irish actor with several blockbuster roles under his belt and a number of Golden Globes, and an Oscar nomination to his name. He first broke into the scene with Steven Spielberg’s “Minority Report” (2002) and then went on to play several other challenging roles in films like “Daredevil” (2003), “Miami Vice” (2006), “Cassandra’s Dream” (2007), “Total Recall” (2012), “Saving Mr. Banks” (2013), “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” (2016), “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” (2017), and many more. One of his most recent and critically acclaimed performances, apart from “The Batman” (2022), can be found in Martin McDonagh’s “The Banshees of Inisherin” (2022), which won him an Academy Award nomination. Cristin Milioti enters the Matt Reeves Batman universe playing the role of Sofia Falcone, the Penguin’s chief competition for the throne of Gotham. She is best known for appearing in the hit TV series “How I Met Your Mother” as Tracy McConnell and in Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street” (2013) as Teresa Belfort. Some of her other notable works are “Fargo” (2015), “Palm Springs” (2020), and “Made for Love” (2021–2022). Rhenzy Feliz is an American singer and actor famous for playing Camilio Madrigal in Disney’s “Encanto” (2021) and for appearing in the Marvel Original Series “Runaways” as Alex Wilder. His role in “The Penguin,” although yet to be revealed, does seem to be essential, as is shown in the teaser.
‘The Penguin’ (2024) – In-Production Teaser: What Is To Be Expected From The Show?
Not much is revealed in the short teaser, but one thing that is visible is that the show is designed in the structure of any classic crime drama but set in Gotham. It does not give any evidence about the appearance of the caped crusader himself, but chances are we might get to witness a truly in-depth exploration of the iconic character of Penguin in all his glory. Although Colin Farrell’s portrayal of the character did not receive all-around positive responses in “The Batman” film, he does get his shot under the spotlight in the upcoming series to really dig in and take this criminal mastermind to the heights he deserves. Another thing that one can take away from the teaser is that the show is going to be one filled with action and confrontations as The Penguin shoots and grinds his way to the top of the Gotham food chain.
It gives off some serious “Godfather meets The Sopranos” vibes, with the dark and gloomy ambiance of Gotham at its center. It picks up where the film left off, with all the crime families vying for power in an unraveled city, and at this juncture, a new face is introduced into the mix: Sofia Falcone, the daughter of the deceased mob boss, Carmine Falcone. Sofia is shown in the teaser dining with the Penguin, perhaps teasing her entry into the Gotham underworld. But the real spotlight remains on the titular character, who is seen to be working with an apprentice (Rhenzy Feliz), whose identity is yet to be revealed. In one scene, he is shown to be threatening the guy, telling him to ‘gut him like a fish’ if he stepped out of line, and in another, he is seen casually shooting someone and having a laugh about it. These character traits appear to be taken right out of DC Comics, where the Penguin is portrayed as perhaps one of the most revered Batman supervillains of all time. The teaser ends with him declaring himself the ‘new kingpin of Gotham,’ undoubtedly raising expectations and piquing the interest of fans all around.