The Penguin spin-off series coming to HBO Max is a curious and exciting operation happening with DC. With the confirmation of Matt Reeves’ The Batman 2 from Warner Bros., having The Penguin be its own series might prove to be interesting to fans. It’s a sign that perhaps future projects happening adjacent to The Batman will form their own Matt Reeves universe outside the DCEU. Other films and TV shows might be a part of The Bat-Verse but could happen independently of other DC projects.
The Penguin is set up to take on a compelling role in this universe, having ended The Batman just now rising to his position of power that we recognize from the original Penguin character. Mr. Oswald Cobblepot (Colin Farrell) is sure to make some serious moves with the state that Gotham is in. Remember, in The Batman, we left the city flooded so bad it was practically underwater. Chaos will no doubt reign as city officials struggle to get the most basic of human services restored. Cobblepot will have a huge opportunity to expand his control over the city as crime flows in, much like the water.
Penguin’s Rise to Power Within Gotham
Warner Bros. Pictures
The Penguin and The Batman 2, though they’ve both been fully greenlit, don’t have release dates or any details beyond the fact that they’re happening. So, a timeline for when The Penguin might occur is still up in the air. So, we’ll have to speculate based on everything we’ve learned from The Batman. At the end of the movie, Oz Cobblepot has just become the unlikely benefactor of Batman (Robert Pattinson) solving the case of his parents’ murder.
Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), the previous leader of the Gotham mafia, was uncovered to be both a police informant and a murderer, so when he was arrested, Cobblepot was next in line to take his place. Of course, this is all happening while the city floods, people are left homeless, and the national guard is on the way.
If Penguin is going to take control of the mafia, then there would be no better time for the mafia to take control of the streets. In such a serious state of emergency, gangs, and drugs usually thrive. There are significant parts of the city where the police never go and are completely controlled by the mob. Of course, this would also be the perfect place for Batman to thrive.
But Cobblepot, with his Iceberg Lounge and mysterious drugs called “drops,” could become his own dictator in these conditions. The Penguin could be the story of Cobblepot’s rise to power and the terror he is able to exert over Gotham while the city is weak.
The Penguin Could Lead the Way to New Batman Films
It easily merges with other series that had been rumored to be happening. The Penguin is the only spin-off series of The Batman that is officially announced at the moment. But earlier in The Batman’s time in the spotlight, there had been talks of both a Gotham PD and Arkham spin-off series. It wouldn’t be very farfetched to find The Penguin star or at least focus on the master criminal as Detective Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) chases after criminals and the treachery he leaves in his wake.
It would not be a stretch of the imagination at all to think the Penguin could find some reason to cause a prison break at Arkham, freeing not only the Riddler (Paul Dano) but Barry Keoghan’s Joker. It’s an excellent way to possibly lead into the next film.
The series will likely tell the smaller stories of The Batman, as one does outside of a movie. But in doing so, The Penguin will expand Matt Reeves’ Bat-Verse. And Michael De Luca (Co-Chair/CEO of Warner Bros. Pictures Group) has already told Deadline that he’s ready to give Matt Reeves’ creative voice plenty of space to move, saying:
So, whatever we see in The Penguin might have the potential to become its own show. Gotham is a character in itself in a way, and the stories that are told reflect the nature of the tale of Batman as a whole. Batman is a hero made out of necessity from the injuries of a city filled with darkness. And that darkness hides a thousand criminals that could threaten the innocent at any moment.
