The Penguin wrapped up its critically acclaimed eight-episode run in Nov. 2024. With its widespread success, fans are craving a second season, despite the show being billed as a limited series. Star Colin Farrell has stated that near the end of production, he couldn’t wait for it to be over. 6y154v

When asked whether he’d do it again, he said, “I don’t know.” For his role, the actor had to endure hours of filming while wearing prosthetics – a three-hour process – and a heavy bodysuit to transform into Gotham’s rising power player, an experience that was anything but comfortable. That unpleasantness aside, he shared that playing the dark character got to him. Still, he’s grateful to be included in the list of actors who have played Penguin, including Burgess Meredith and Danny DeVito.

Farrell has been widely praised for his gripping portrayal, racking up awards from the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice Television Awards, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. But when asked, yet again, whether he’d be open to a second season of The Penguin, his response was, “I don’t want it. I don’t not want it.” He further explained that they put maximum effort into the eight episodes of the series, and he doesn’t want to do a second season just because the first one was a success, fearing it would only be a “diluted version.” “I’m in no rush. I have no deep desire to do it,” he told Variety.

While the actor seems reluctant, he isn’t completely closing his doors. “If they think of something that works in conjunction as a parallel to Matt Reeves’ cinematic universe and it’s a good idea, I’m open to it. But it’s not something concerning me,” he explained, referring to the interconnected world The Batman director Matt Reeves is creating that is separate from the main DC Universe known as the DC Elseworlds. The Penguin takes place a week after the events in The Batman, and The Batman: Part II is set to take place after The Penguin.

Farrell was a bit more positive when he talked to TheWrap, saying that he would be “open to it for sure,” but again, he elaborated that it would have to be tied to Reeves’ Batman world in some way. Ultimately, multiple factors must be figured out before a second season of The Penguin happens, and right now, Farrell is saying that he would consider it if there is a “strong” idea.

Farrell’s Penguin made his debut in The Batman, with Robert Pattinson in the lead role of the brooding Dark Knight. While the fate of The Penguin season 2 remains uncertain, fans can take comfort in one thing — Farrell will be slipping back into the role for The Batman: Part II. Details are scarce regarding the movie, but according to reports, Part II will begin filming late this year. The original release date of Oct. 2026 has been pushed back, with the film expected to come out sometime in 2027.

Colin Farrell disappeared into the role of Oz Cobb in The Penguin. Even though the actor didn’t enjoy the makeup and prosthetics process, it proved to be worth it as he claimed a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television.

Make no mistake about it: HBO’s The Penguin was one of the best television shows of 2024. Critics and audiences raved about this latest instalment in Matt Reeves’ isolated corner of the DC Universe, comparing it favorably to shows such as The Sopranos and The Wire. Naturally, awards chatter followed – especially for Farrell and Cristin Miliot’s outstanding performances as Oz and Sofia Falcone respectively. Everyone’s work was recognized in the end, as The Penguin received three Golden Globe nominations, though Farrell was the only winner of the bunch.

This is Colin Farrell’s third Golden Globe win, but it also catapulted him into an elite category. He’s now the third person to have played a comic book supervillain and won a Golden Globe for his performance. The previous winners were Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix, who received the plaudits for playing the Joker in 2008’s The Dark Knight and 2019’s Joker respectively.

Discussing what it means to be ing this prestigious group of actors, Farrell said the following in the press room after his win (via Variety):

“To have your name just uttered in the same sentence as those performances, honestly, it’s lovely, but still I’m more of just a fan of it all! I don’t feel like I’m part of that pantheon. Joaquin and Heath, just two extraordinary and honest great actors.”

Social media came alive after Farrell’s win, with the general consensus being that he deserved it for disappearing into the role of Oz. Various X s praised his performance and said the inclusion into the same club as Phoenix and Ledger was more than merited. Another commentator pointed out how DC continues to dominate at the Golden Globes, writing, “That’s DC for you.”

Unquestionably, The Penguin‘s success is a boost for the DC brand as a whole. While it’s considered separate from the main universe that James Gunn and Peter Safran are creating, it was much-needed good news after a series of poorly received efforts such as The Flash and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. The Penguin is testament that not only can good comic book properties be made for fans, but they can also appeal to wider audiences and be in the running for awards.

In of Farrell’s Oz, he’s set to return for The Batman Part II; however, that movie appears to be constantly delayed and pushed out further and further. At this point, don’t be surprised if it turns into a Batman Beyond story since everyone becomes aged out of their roles.

At the time of writing, a second season of The Penguin hasn’t been officially announced. Colin Farrell confirmed he would return if asked and mentioned how he has shared ideas of where the story could go with showrunner Lauren LeFranc. After the nominations and win at the 2025 Golden Globe Awards, it’s more than likely the powers that be will give the thumbs-up for the next chapter in Oz’s rise to the top of Gotham City’s underworld.

Fans are still reeling from the devastating finale of The Penguin which aired on Max. While everyone deserves some breathing room, Oz Cobb (Colin Farrell) isn’t being put to bed for good.

Viewers can expect the return of The Penguin in Matt Reeves’ sequel to 2022’s The Batman. But in what capacity? Producer Dylan Clark spoke to Variety about the future of the iconic Batman villain. He complimented showrunner Lauren LeFranc on her unimpeachable vision that was a necessity for the success of The Penguin. The crime drama could have easily been a cameo-ladden cash grab with no nuance. Instead, LeFranc presented the audience with a careful if often brutal character study of a narcissist. Clark stated that he and Reeves were blown away by her initial pitch, which leaves many storylines up in the air. Clark continued:

“We’ve built these two characters up and left them both in very precarious places. Power corrupts, and now he has it. What’s he gonna do? Probably some more bad stuff.”

Knowing The Penguin, “bad stuff” is likely an understatement. Oz has finally achieved everything he has ever wanted, but it came at a cost. The crime boss explored the lengths of what he was willing to do in order to get supreme power. He sacrifices an innocent closest to him, and all for a goal that is now unachievable. Oz wanted to provide for his mother, Francis (Deirdre O’Connell), but now that she is in a vegetative state, he keeps her locked up in a penthouse overlooking the city. He has fully accepted himself as he is, which should dovetail nicely when The Batman: Part II premieres. Viewers may also be interested to know what is in store for the co-protagonist of the series.

Sofia Gigante is down but not out u3k2g

The season finale of The Penguin is tragic for almost every character. Sofia Gigante (Cristin Milioti) is high on that list, as she is left exactly where she started at the beginning of the series. After struggling to get revenge for her brother and control of the Falcone crime family, Oz maneuvers her so she ends up back in Arkham. On her first stay in the asylum, Sofia was heartbreakingly framed by her father Carmine (Mark Strong), and spent a decade unjustly in the worst place on earth.

The last episode shows Sofia back in a cell, though this time with the unwavering of Dr. Rush (Theo Rossi). The shining light for Sofia is receiving a letter from an established half-sister, Selina Kyle, portrayed by Zoë Kravitz in The Batman. This portends some interesting things for the character down the line. The sibling characters share their father, Carmine Falcone, and have equal reasons for hating him. While dead, Carmine still fascinatingly unites the two characters. There is more in store for Sofia, who LeFranc tells Variety was conjured up with a specific goal in mind.

“So much of the reason why I created Sofia was just to give my younger self a female character that I didn’t feel like I had growing up.”

Sofia is unapologetic and ruthless, just the type of person to get ahead in Gotham. LeFranc is light on the specifics, but judging from the ending of The Penguin, that won’t be the last time we see Ms. Gigante.

The Penguin is over, but the story of Oz Cobb is far from done. In fact, it seems to only be beginning. Fortunately, we know exactly when it’s set to pick back up and that will happen during The Batman 2.

Matt Reeves’s DC universe is one of the most intriguing comic book stories that has been told on screen, and it only jumped to a new level with the release of The Penguin. However, linking together different projects can often become a problem when maintaining not just quality, but also continuity. Fortunately, Reeves already has this all mapped out.

Now that the series is over, Reeves has detailed exactly how The Penguin is going to set the stage for The Batman 2, and it has us more excited than ever before.

“What’s exciting is that he’s [Oz Cobb] is not the same character that he was in the first movie,” Reeves said in a video shared by Rotten Tomatoes. “We now have this entry point where Batman is going to be meeting this character in a different place in his life and that it’s going to again flesh out the picture about the nature of corruption in Gotham and the darkness.”

Reeves then touched on the obvious shift in Gotham, leading to fights and “a hunt or be hunted” type of mindset: “To me, I sort of see all these things as a meditation on this place. A place filled with such desperation but, yet draws people to it. And you see people kind of fighting and struggling to be here and it never seems to get any better despite all efforts, and thank god it doesn’t because then there would be no need for Batman and then we’d all be in trouble because we love Batman.”

Reeves continues explaining how The Batman 2 will continue to dive into the criminal politics that were showcased during The Penguin and showcase the true reason for the perpetual darkness of Gotham.

If that doesn’t sell you on the sequel, then I don’t know what will. One of the best aspects of The Penguin was that it felt like a crime drama more than a superhero movie, and that worked so well for the characters and story that was being told. It’s similar to the reasons so many loved The Batman.

The Batman is a gritty, dark, and surprisingly grounded superhero story that separates itself from all of the other attempts to bring DC Comics’ iconic characters to the big screen. That’s why it’s separated itself as one of the most highly rated Batman movies of all time falling short of the iconic Christopher Nolan movie The Dark Knight—which shouldn’t be surprising.

Details about The Batman 2 have been kept mostly under wraps since it was announced, but what we do know is that Colin Farrell will return as The Penguin. Similarly, Batman will once again be played by Robert Pattinson who surprisingly has been one of the most impressive versions of the Caped Crusader ever on screen.

If you haven’t seen The Batman, or binged through all of The Penguin yet then you can check out both of these productions with a subscription to Max now. You’ve got plenty of time to get through them as The Batman 2 isn’t scheduled to get here until Oct. 2, 2026.

The following article contains spoilers for The Penguin, season 1, episode 8: “A Great Or Little Thing.”

The Penguin has come to a close with all the gusto and violence that could be expected, and fans only want to know one thing. Will Colin Farrell play the titular character again?

All previous reports pointed to not being very likely. Farrell quite famously told Total Film that the darkness of The Penguin affected him deeply and he had no designs on returning to the role.

“I never want to put on that f***ing suit and f***ing head again,” Farrell said.

However, in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter following The Penguin season 1 finale, he recontextualized his earlier comments. Farrell itted that he had been venting about the difficulties of the shoot and how existing in Oz’s world had been a challenge. With more time, the actor has since reasoned “Never say never.” There may be a future where Farrell dons the elaborate prosthetics again to play the irredeemable gangster, he told the outlet.

“If there’s a great idea [for season two], and the writing was really muscular and as strong or stronger on the page than it was the first season, of course I would do it.”

Farrell also explained that he is contractually obligated to appear in three Batman films in the Matt Reeves universe. He noted that he hasn’t seen a script for The Batman Part II but understands he may have five or six scenes in the film. The new movie has been highly anticipated since 2022 when the first Batman premiered, but now there is even more reason to fast-track it. The Penguin sets up a terrifying villain for Batman to defeat in the film.

The Penguin perfectly set up Oz’s villain era 28223m

For fans of Batman comics, it seems pretty evident what Matt Reeves will tackle in the next film. There is heavy messaging in The Batman that Hush, a villain never explored in live action before, will be the next foe for the Caped Crusader. However, the film would be remiss to not include the Gentleman of Crime.

In The Batman, The Penguin is comic relief at best, roasting the world’s greatest detective for his terrible Spanish. The Penguin continues this trend but develops a character arc that is disturbing until the final episode. The season finale of The Penguin shows Oz become so reprehensible that fans are practically begging Batman to swoop down and beat him into submission.

Season 1, episode 8, “The Great or Little Thing” shows the lengths to which Oz will go to become a true powerhouse. After s (Deirdre O’Connell) has a stroke that effectively leaves her comatose, Oz decides that he can’t ever be weak again. His only remaining weakness is Victor (Rhenzy Feliz), who calls Oz family in his final moments. Oz promises that he couldn’t have accomplished his massive power grab without his apprentice, right before wrapping his fingers around his throat and choking the life from him.

Many fans were willing to forgive many things, but this act, in addition to Oz killing his brothers and setting a woman and her son on fire, just further crystalizes his descent into true villainy. He exhibits no real remorse, even diving further into his delusions regarding his mother in the final moments of the episode. There is no question why Colin Farrell needed some time away from this character. Oz, who easily could have fallen into the trap of being a caricature, finally becomes the villain he was boasting to be and is now worthy of being included in Batman’s Rogues Gallery.

Before we dive into specifics here’s your last warning, as the following paragraphs will include spoilers for the entire series The Penguin, including the finale, so make sure you’ve seen that first before reading on.

Okay, now what we’ve warned you: The Penguin finale includes Oz Cobb’s biggest betrayal yet as he kills his most trusted companion Victor Aguilar right after the teen helps to win the struggle for power in Gotham. Talk about a head-turning twist that will remain with us for years to come, eh?

Oz is left dealing with his mother in a vegetative state after suffering a stroke, but in of his criminal aspirations, he’s in the best spot that he’s ever been. The Penguin now seemingly rules Gotham with a handful of bosses under his leadership all fresh into their roles. This would seem like the perfect situation for Oz, but he sees Victor as a loose end and has to cut it off before moving on with his life.

This is one of the most tragic moments in the entire series. We first see the pair share a heartfelt conversation where Victor thanks him for taking a chance and bringing him at the start of the story, even going as far as to call him family. Only moments later, Oz starts choking his former ally to death and justifying it the only way that the Penguin would.

Seeing this shocking move play out it becomes clear that Oz would quite literally sacrifice anyone including his own mother to get what he wants, and we see this literally earlier in the episode when he’s willing to have his mother lose a finger just to avoid telling her the truth.

Lauren LeFranc spoke with Deadline elaborating on Oz’s actions in the finale and explaining why it was important to have the Penguin be the one to end Vic’s life.

“In so many ways, he is a broken man,” LeFranc said to Deadline. “When it comes to Victor, it was really important to me that Oz kill him — not because he has any reason to, and Victor did come through for him. Victor is like family. Yet Victor saw Oz at his weakest, at his most vulnerable. Oz really feels like he needs a level of power. He can’t have weakness, so he kills Victor.

It’s not because of anything Victor did wrong,” continues LeFranc. “I think Oz, in that moment, really chose to kill his own heart and embrace the monster that he is. It is a terrible tragedy, and I’ve always viewed our show as a tragedy. I hope that people are appalled by what Oz chooses to do because there’s no justifiable reason that we’ve been given for him to do it, which is always important. I think a lot about who dies and when and what people might think about those deaths. Who has power in that moment? Who mistreats somebody else in that moment to create these dark and terrible justifications?”

That’s sad news for those viewers who have come to love Victor over the duration of The Penguin and were hoping to see him return in future projects set in The Batman universe, but it’s also one of the reasons the show was so good. You never really knew who was safe, and who wasn’t.

If you want to enjoy the story of The Penguin over again, then you can check out every episode so far on Max. Hopefully, with the gigantic success the show has been, we’ll get more from this series in the future.

The Penguin has officially wrapped up its first season on HBO. After eight episodes of pure drama and nonstop shock, fans can’t wait to see the return of Colin Farrell’s Oz Cobb in Matt Reeves’ corner of the DC Universe.

“Why a Penguin series">a second season of The Penguin depends on a few factors. One, James Gunn and DC Studios would need to approve any plans for it since the world of DC is meant to be unified now. And two, HBO would need to look at the ratings and see if it makes business sense to give Oz another season of crime and capers. For now, let’s hold thumbs this isn’t the last time that the Penguin will squawk on the small screen.

While The Penguin did a phenomenal job of keeping the focus on Colin Farrell’s mesmerizing Oswald Cobb, the series still leaves enough loose threads for fans to follow as we try to anticipate the plot of The Batman: Part II. Furthermore, The Penguin’s ending gives a clearer picture of how dangerous Oz can be as Gotham City’s new kingpin and where we’ll see some beloved characters next.

Francis’ and Victor’s fate reveals the true nature of Oswald Cobb a2j2x

When the credits of The Penguin’s final episode roll, there’s no question: Oz is a sociopath who doesn’t honestly care about anyone but himself. Since he’s so good at talking his way out of trouble, Oz managed to charm the audience, using the façade of a self-made man to hide his devious nature. After a few episodes, one could wonder if Oz was a villain or just a misguided soul trying to survive in Gotham City.

A look at Oz’s past, in Episode 7, helps to clear the matter. After all, Oz’s compulsion to be loved led him to murder his brothers, all while pretending to be Mommy’s good boy. Yet, Episode 8 hammers the point by showing how Oz’s need for validation has sealed the fate of Francis (Deirdre O’Connell) and Victor (Rhenzy Feliz).

In the final episode, Victor, inspired by Oz’s grandiose speeches about the less fortunate rising against the wealthy, convinces every second-in-command of Gotham’s gangs to seize power. This revolutionary coup gives Oz the throne he always dreamed of. Sadly, Victor is repaid with blood, as Oz chokes his apprentice to death without any previous warning. 

It’s not that Oz is not fond of Victor, per se. It’s just that Oz doesn’t want to share his crown, and Victor proved himself too bright and reliable for Oz to trust him to keep to his place. Victor is a liability for Oz, who has to cater to the boy’s big expectations on how the Penguin should rule. In short, by ing every gang in Gotham to Oz, Victor proves he’s too cunning to stay alive. Victor’s value expired once he showed Oz he could be more than a loyal lapdog, which gives us a spine-chilling peek at the Penguin’s head.

As for Francis, what she feared the most comes to . By the end of The Penguin, Francis is in a vegetative state, trapped inside the flesh prison she once called her body. Oz had promised to terminate her life if that ever came to , but of course, he doesn’t fulfill his oath. Oz is incapable of loving his mother and respecting her as a person. To him, Francis is just the source of the affection he needs to feel good about himself. That’s why he keeps her alive. Oz still has use for Francis, and he won’t let her final wishes get in the way of what he wants. The Penguin is a cruel narcissist, and the way he treats his mother at the end of the limited series proves it.

Is Sofia Gigante showing up for The Batman: Part II? 4o3x51

While The Penguin is primarily about Oz, Cristin Milioti stole our hearts with her take on Sofia Gigante. For a moment, it looked like Sofia was marked for execution since she was the biggest obstacle in Oz’s way to absolute power over Gotham’s underworld. However, instead of killing Sofia, Oz sends her back to Arkham Asylum, which is genuinely hell on Earth. This move allows the Penguin to blame her for all the chaos he helped spread in Gotham’s streets.

Oz believes he’s dooming Sofia to a fate worse than death. He would be correct if it weren’t for two reasons. First, Dr. Julian Rush (Theo Rossi) gets his job back at Arkham to protect Sofia as best as possible. That means this time, she won’t be subject to psychological torture the same way as before. More importantly, though, Sofia gets a letter from Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz), aka Catwoman.

The Batman reveals Selina is the daughter of Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) with one of the sex workers from the Iceberg Lounge. That makes her Sofia’s half-sister. Since Selina s Sofia at the end of The Penguin, Catwoman most likely knows their father is the actual Hangman. So, Selina might help get Sofia out of Arkham. Plus, the two women might be involved in the plot of The Batman: Part II.

What does the ending of The Penguin mean for Robert Pattinson’s Dark Knight? 2e215u

One of the highlights of The Penguin is how the limited series shows the corrupt and inhumane modus operandi of Arkham Asylum. Since the prison for the mentally ill is such a cornerstone of the Dark Knight mythos, Pattinson’s Batman will probably revisit the place in The Batman: Part II. When that happens, he might learn what truly happens behind Arkham walls and try to take the place down or reform it. That would be the perfect way to tie The Penguin and the movies.

In The Batman, Bruce learns that his mother spent some time in Arkham, a fact his father did everything to hide from the press. Being the obsessive investigator we love, Bruce will probably dig deeper into his family’s past, taking him to Arkham. With Selina keeping in touch with Sofia and Catwoman being an ally to Batman, the three characters might work together to expose the nefarious things that happen in Arkham.

Following the events of The Penguin, The Batman: Part II also has to explain Batman’s inexplicable absence from the show. There’s just too much death and destruction in The Penguin for it to go unnoticed by Gotham City’s nocturnal protector. The Bat-Signal at the end of The Penguin teases how the Dark Knight will investigate Oz’s actions as Gotham’s new kingpin. Nevertheless, the movie must also explain why Batman was nowhere to be seen for weeks without end, as a new drug flooded Gotham and prominent crime lords fell like flies.

In an interview with SFX Magazine, Reeves revealed that Part II will deal with “digging into the epic story about deeper corruption.” Arkham is part of this corruption, for sure. However, the depths of the issue mean some influential people are pulling the strings in Gotham and might have subdued Batman during the events of The Penguin. Whatever the case might be, it’s going to be hard to wait until 2026 to see how the story of The Penguin unfolds.

We’re just days away from The Penguin ending, and what a ride it has been. Coming from a series that many were skeptical about, to becoming one of the best comic-book-inspired shows ever, it has been win after win for DC’s latest show.

As we approach the final hour of the season, many fans are naturally begging for more. However, no second season of the show has been announced yet, and there’s been little indication that it ever will. Until now.

Speaking to The Direct, The Penguin showrunner Lauren LeFranc explained that they are open to doing a second season of the hit show, but it’s on one condition — and it’s a big one.

“We put it all out on the table. I think that in order to do a second season, we have to feel like we can top ourselves,” LeFranc explained. “We have to feel like there’s something more there to really dig into. I mean, I really care about all these characters even if they’re terrible people. I’d like to keep playing, it just has to be the right thing.”

That might sound disheartening to those fans hoping that there would be an enthusiastic “yes” to a second Penguin season, but honestly, it’s the best-case scenario. No one wants more of The Penguin if it won’t live up to the first season, which has been perfect so far, and given LeFranc’s words, it seems like the only way we’re getting more is if it’s worth it.

We all need to wait and see how things play out in the finale next Sunday, as it will give us a much better look into where Oz and the other characters wind up after the first season’s conclusion. While we might not get a second season announcement then, it doesn’t mean it will never happen.

The Batman 2 is scheduled to release in the coming years, and this movie could change Oz’s position again from where we leave him off at the end of his own show. This development on the big screen could open the doors to tell another story — one just as interesting as The Penguin. That’s why it’s important to stay positive that we will get more in the future.

Of course, making the series isn’t easy, especially for its leading star Colin Farrell, who had to don a lot of prosthetic makeup for the role. In fact, the actor voiced his desire to never put it back on again after the season finished production, but with how successful the series has been, perhaps he can be persuaded.

All options are still on the table, which is a good thing. Hopefully, The Penguin finale will provide the insight we need to see exactly where Oz is going after the initial run is over. Who knows, it might even come with the announcement we’re all hoping for, but for now, that’s just speculation.

You can watch The Penguin finale when it airs on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. If you need to catch up every episode of the show so far is available on Max.

The Penguin is almost at its end but that doesn’t mean the hype is dead, in fact, it’s only getting bigger each week. There are a lot of people watching Warner Bros.’s latest DC series, so many that it keeps breaking its own record.

Episode 7 of The Penguin has once again broken viewership records for the series reaching 1.9 million viewers across platforms in the U.S. on Nov. 2, which is six percent higher than the week prior, per Deadline. What makes this so impressive is the fact that with each episode the audience continues to grow.

To show just how much it has grown since its debut, the first episode of The Penguin has now been watched by more than 16 million people. According to Deadline, that’s an increase of two million since the last time figures for the debut were shared back in October, so it means there’s not just a returning audience, but plenty of newcomers to the series.

It’s not all that surprising to see these figures. The show launched with some hype but it has grown substantially over the run so far as fans and creators have taken to social media urging others to check out the show. With its almost perfect scores on Rotten Tomatoes, we also suspect that audiences just looking for something new could have easily stumbled upon the show given its high regard.

The best thing about The Penguin is that while it is a spin-off of The Batman, you don’t need to have seen the movie to enjoy the show. Since its narrative is self-contained you could easily pick up episode one with no prior knowledge and enjoy the story through to its conclusion.

Another contributor to the series’ success is the fact that each week it has just gotten better. Newer episodes have been filled with twists, emotional storytelling, and a ton of violence in a series that isn’t really action. For those who haven’t seen the show yet, the show is more a drama like The Sopranos than a comic-book action show like Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and that’s a good thing.

It’s unclear exactly where The Penguin goes from here. No word of a second season has been shared, and there’s always the possibility that Oz could be folded back into the movie franchise with The Batman 2. Of course, we’ll have a greater idea of what’s coming once the finale airs next Sunday.

Given the trajectory that the series has been on we expect that the final episode will be its largest ever, and very likely could break the viewership milestone it has set with Episode 7. While that would be impressive, all we ask is that the show sticks the landing and concludes with the same high-quality storytelling it has maintained so far. Should you need to catch up or simply refresh your mind before the final episode gets here you can binge through all of The Penguin so far on Max.

As a spinoff of The Batman, The Penguin‘s story is tied to Matt Reeves’ beloved movie. However, Episode 7 pushes the show’s logic to its brink by not having the Dark Knight glide to an atrocious crime scene.

From a production’s point of view, it makes sense that Robert Pattinson’s Batman doesn’t have a cameo in The Penguin. The show is about Oswald Cobb’s (Colin Farrell) ascension to the position of Gotham City’s kingpin, so the creative team wants to keep all eyes on the villain. Of course, fans were bound to be disappointed by this decision, which is why Reeves warned everyone of Batman’s absence even before The Penguin‘s premiere.

Nevertheless, knowing the Dark Knight would not appear in The Penguin didn’t prevent fans from looking for signs of Batman in every dark corner. For the series’ first episodes, it was easy to think Bruce Wayne would be recovering from his battle against Riddler’s (Paul Dano) goons or maybe figuring out how to be more than a symbol of fear. After all, most of The Penguin’s events happen in just a few days. Yet, it became harder to believe Batman would not look into Gotham City’s gang wars after Episode 6, which features a significant time jump and shows how a new drug, Bliss, has flooded the streets.

Episode 7 takes everyone’s suspension of disbelief to its breaking point. In it, Sofia Gigante (Cristin Milioti) sends a bomb to Oz’s underground base of operations, literally blowing his business off the map. The explosion also creates a massive hole in the middle of Crown Point, the same neighborhood affected by Riddler’s flood. That means the people of Crown Point were already struggling to survive before the gang war blew them up into pieces. There’s no way Batman would just ignore this event. Right? Well, that might be the point.

It makes no sense for Batman to ignore ‘The Penguin’s events, but that might be the point 221139

After the end of The Batman, Bruce Wayne learns that he does more good to Gotham City when he tries to help people and be a symbol of hope than when he punches lowlife criminals in the face to become a symbol of fear. So, it’s fair to assume that Bruce is using Wayne’s fortune to help the people of Gotham recover from Riddler’s terrorist attacks. There’s no way Bruce would not be involved in Crown Point, helping to turn the lights back on, for instance. Yet, it’s the Penguin who does the job. Likewise, Batman would be all over Bliss once he heard about a new drug poisoning Gotham. But the Penguin’s only challenger is Sofia. There has to be a reason for this.

Reeves underlined how The Penguin sets the stage for The Batman Part II, the director’s highly-anticipated sequel. So, maybe disgruntled fans should start asking why Batman is nowhere to be seen. We can all agree that, at this point, it makes no sense for the Dark Knight to keep avoiding Oz. He had time to heal, time to rethink his crimefighting approach, and time to investigate the deaths of the Falcones. The only logical conclusion is that something is preventing Batman from protecting Gotham. Whatever it may be, it’s probably the threat from The Batman Part II.

There are still no details available on the plot of The Batman Part II, but thanks to Pattinson’s absence from The Penguin, we can know one thing. Someone has trapped Bruce Wayne or sent him away for a long time, enough for Oz to take control of Gotham. Whoever the responsible are, they surely will be formidable foes for the sequel.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Penguin Episode 7.

The Penguin’s penultimate episode has arrived and while a lot was revealed during its 46-minute runtime one of the biggest moments was when Sal finally got his hands on Oz and things didn’t go well for the Penguin.

When Oz is found after his mother is kidnapped by Sofia Falcone, Salvatore Maroni finally gets his chance to take revenge for the deaths of his family, and boy does he use the opportunity. In this, one of the first sequences of the episode Oz is beaten by Sal with a golf club, and Clancy Brown who plays the family head has spoken out about what his character is thinking in those moments.

“At this point, Sal has tunnel vision,” Brown said in an interview with Variety. “All he wants to do is kill Oz. If he could shoot Oz in the head, and then somebody shot [Sal] in the head, he would die a happy man. He is just so full of rage and hatred for Oz Cobb at that point, I don’t think anything else exists. I don’t think he has any designs to take out Sofia and he doesn’t care at all about the Gigante and Maroni alliance.”

It seems Sal would have done whatever it took just to kill him and given the events that unfolded in prior episodes, it’s no real surprise.

Sal’s moment of rage taken out on Oz looks very convincing and that’s because the actor was given permission not to hold back. Brown explained how he and Colin Farrell who played Oz had an agreement to “just go for it,” however, after a few takes the Penguin actor quietly requested that they tone it down a little. If you need any convincing of how hard they were initially going, Brown says that he was trying to break the club, so it can’t have felt too great to be Oz in that moment.

While Sal’s chance to take revenge on Oz was ultimately short-lived, the actor explained that he has grand plans regarding what he would do. “He was gonna burn him slow. He was going to dismember him and burn him. He was definitely going to pour gasoline on him and make him smell his own flesh burning. Just the most painful thing that he could imagine.” It would not have ended well for Oz if the Maroni boss had his way, but fortunately for the titular character luck was on his side and he managed to emerge victorious despite all of the odds stacked against him.

There’s still one more episode of The Penguin left and we expect it’s only going to be more chaotic than this one. This DC series is one of the best comic book-inspired shows ever made, but it remains to be seen if it will stick the landing. You can check out Episode 7 alongside all of the previous additions to the story right now on Max with the finale set to air Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024.