Expanding the lore of the Penguin seems to be a favorite pastime for anyone who gets the chance to realize the character. From his beginnings as a well-dressed, bird-obsessed socialite to his most recent manifestation on HBO’s The Penguin, Oswald Cobblepot — or Oz Cobb (Colin Farrell), as we now know him — benefits from a level of reinvention typically reserved for the Batman himself and, perhaps, Catwoman’s costume. We’ve seen him become a literal monster, a figurative one, a sniveling yes-man, and, now, a formidable, Robert De Niro-like mobster who may actually be ready to take the Batman (Robert Pattinson) head on.
But maybe we’re getting ahead of ourselves.
Across its eight episodes, The Penguin offered the most complex and thorough exploration of the character yet (with all due respect to Robin Lord Taylor’s Penguin on Gotham) and, it seems, he is primed to be a presence in the eventual sequel to The Batman (currently known as The Batman: Part II). Director Matt Reeves said as much at a recent press conference. But besides Oz, what other elements of the series might produce dividends in the sequel? And could any of it lead to further tales of The Batman’s Gotham City? Let’s take a look back at The Penguin to see if we can’t find the clues the World’s Greatest Detective has yet to spot.
Top Of The World
(Photo by Macall Polay/HBO)
Knowing that Oz has a part to play in The Batman sequel, you could safely bet on The Penguin ending exactly where it did: with Oz on top of the world. Though the phrase is never uttered exactly right in the series, it is a homage to one of the best gangster pictures of the 1940s, White Heat. James Cagney’s Cody Jarrett, like Oz, always kept his “ma” in his thoughts, even in his final moments. But unlike Oz, his exclamation of the phrase in the film’s closing moments does not connote success.
But what does success mean for Oz? The series is pretty clear on one thing: It will leave him more isolated than he was as a middle-rung night club manager on the Falcone payroll. Some would say that is exactly what he deserves. Then again, people that isolated and in power become even more cruel. In fact, we’re surprised Eve Karlo (Carmen Ejogo) made it out of the series without Oz inflicting grievous bodily harm upon her.
Beyond the possibility of Oz being more ruthless in The Batman sequel, there is also the possibility of greater eccentricity. The show already teased the more traditional Penguin costume, with a top hat and tails featured in the final sequence. But even in earlier episodes, some of his other well-known affectations — like the fur-lined coat he wore in the old trolley tunnels — speak to an Oz who might adopt any or all of the previous Penguins’ quirks.
(Photo by Macall Polay/HBO)
Okay, he might not ever squawk with Burgess Meredith’s energy or eat raw fish like Danny DeVito, but a rainbow-colored umbrella and the use of rubber duck imagery are certainly possible.
In fact, The Batman, like The Dark Knight Trilogy before it, seems to be charting the transformation of Gotham from a city ruled by organized crime outfits to one of costumed supervillainy. Oz, already a cartoonish figure in the grittier structure of the Falcone crime family, could excel even further than he already has by embracing the theatricality of the Batman.
Of course, that depends on how central his role ends up being in The Batman: Part II. He could be on a parallel track with the Batman’s investigation, and he might even help the detective… perhaps even completely willingly this time. Sure, the final shot of the series suggests they are headed for a major confrontation, but we suspect the Batman may have a different objective in mind.
The Bliss Of Arkham
(Photo by Macall Polay/HBO)
It is rare to see a crime tale where the prolonged effects of the drugs being sold are not discussed. Bliss, unlike other drugs featured in DC Comics properties, seemingly has no downside. We think that has something to do with its origins at Arkham State Hospital.
Considering that name alone, the facility is very different from the Arkham Asylum of the comics, TV shows, or video games. It’s a state hospital for one thing. Its staff can’t just kill patients with drugs — they have other patients for that! Instead, Bliss’s primary function is as a sedative. But why would Arkham have the corner on it and, seemingly, not submit it for use across the country?
Maybe that goes back to what the Riddler (Paul Dano) was trying to reveal about Arkham and Martha Wayne (Stella Stocker) in his “Hush” video during the events of The Batman. The clip stated she had her own psychological issues, but they remained secret because A) she was related to the Arkhams who founded the original asylum, and B) the Wayne election campaign buried the facts. Was Bliss developed to treat her specific diagnosis, and it just proved useful to the other patients? If that’s the case, is that something the Waynes knew about and, potentially, benefited from? The Riddler’s video also put the Waynes on blast for their part in keeping Gotham corrupt and, although the Batman mythos is stronger for the family being altruistic, it is nearly impossible to investigate that aspect of Bruce Wayne’s background without delving into possible corruption.
(Photo by Jonathan Olley/©Warner Bros.)
It may have began as a last-ditch effort to save Martha’s sanity, but the temptation to profit and control may have been too great. Will the Batman learn about this and turn his attention to Arkham?
At one point, Reeves was developing a series centering on Arkham and its secrets. We imagine Bliss was meant to be further explored there, but it’s easy to see how those ideas could make their way into another film. And, as it happens, occasional Arkham resident Dr. Hugo Strange is the sort of villain who fits quite nicely in Reeves’ world. Is he the one who created Bliss in the first place? Back in the comics, Bliss has a very different origin and function, but we doubt those details will make their way into the next Batman feature.
Bella Reál Finally In Office
(Photo by ©Warner Bros.)
Thanks to its proximity to the conclusion of The Batman, The Penguin does a lot of work to remind the audience that Bella Reál (Jayme Lawson) won the mayoral election on a vow to wipe out corruption in the city. Of course, the normal transition of power was disrupted by the Riddler, so the series constantly points out that she is still using the title “mayor-elect.”
But The Batman sequel will not be so constrained. In fact, the end of The Penguin leaves one to wonder just how much later the next film will be set. Presumably, Reál will be firmly in office, and that will directly impact where Jim Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) and any potential new District Attorney sit in terms of her goals. What will she do when she discovers Gordon has the Batman as a resource? Then again, considering how he helped out during the flood, she may even want to recruit him to her anti-corruption cause.
(Photo by Macall Polay/HBO)
Then again, there is that moment Oz spots her at city hall in the finale. Is she the next threat to his empire? If another season of The Penguin was in the works, we’d speculate his move into city hall would form the bulk of those episodes. But as a Batman: Part II plot point, it would be something we see the effects of more than the cause. Maybe Reál will already be in his pocket by the time the movie starts.
And while we’re considering the greater scope of Gotham, what will Reál, Gordon, or the Batman do when they discover all the gangs are now united under one king? Like Cyrus’s (Roger Hill) plan in Walter Hill’s 1979 cult classic The Warriors, that level of organization eclipses the manpower of those sworn to uphold justice.
Another possibility: Reál and Gordon may appreciate the relative peace and stability Oz has brought to the city’s underworld. That could be a source of conflict with the Batman.
Falcone Sisters Unite
(Photo by Macall Polay/HBO)
One genuine surprise late in the show was Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz) reaching out to her half-sister, Sofia Falcone Gigante (Cristin Milioti). Selina’s presence in The Batman sequel is not a guarantee, but the letter she sends to Arkham suggests she may have some sympathy for a person the world presumes is the Hangman.
While it is easy to see the reasons she might reach out to Sofia, why does Sofia welcome the letter with a smile?
We’ll admit we’ve read too many dark Batman comics, and now that Sofia has “family annihilator” on her resume, her glee could emanate from the chance to kill one last branch of the Falcone family tree.
(Photo by ©Warner Bros.)
But then again, The Batman Part II could take that number and make it more of a literal thing – a film about team-ups. Riddler could team up with the person next to him at Arkham and Sofia could team-up with Selina. They also both have history with Oz, and that could motivate a partnership. Sofia might even be able to appreciate her sister as family. Although, families have a real hard time in the world of The Batman.
If the sequel is about team-ups, who does the Batman team up with it? We’d argue the best candidate would’ve been Victor (Rhenzy Feliz), but…
The Murder Of Victor Aguilar
(Photo by Macall Polay/HBO)
Is it possible Victor’s murder will be the case the Batman takes on? Back before the premiere, Penguin showrunner Lauren Le Franc and Feliz suggested Victor is something of a Robin for Oz. But what if, in death, he also serves as a more literal Robin for the Batman? Sure, he was pretty dedicated to “the life” when Oz strangled it all out of him, but he did have a good heart, and it is possible he left a trail for Batman to follow back to Oz.
Again, that’s dependent on just how central Penguin is to the plot of the next film, but it’s hard to imagine murdering Victor won’t be part of his ultimate downfall. Although, on second glance, murdering his own brothers barely slowed him down. Learning his mother, Frances (Deirdre O’Connell), knew he killed them also gave him little pause. Maybe Victor’s death will go unanswered and only offer proof that Oz was always destined to be this cruel tyrant. One piece of evidence making this more likely: Reeves told press The Penguin is not required viewing to enjoy The Batman: Part II.
Meanwhile, isn’t it interesting that two gang wars, an explosion in Crown Point, and Sofia murdering nearly all of her relatives didn’t pique the interest of Gotham’s costumed savior?
Where Is The Batman?
(Photo by Jonathan Olley/©Warner Bros.)
One question The Batman sequel might answer revolves around his absence throughout The Penguin. Granted, a lifetime of Batman comics, movies, and shows has taught us to expect Batman will appear at the scene of any crime, but especially anything related to the organized variety. Also, the realities of film and TV production always made a cameo from Pattinson in full costume highly unlikely. Additionally, there is something really creatively satisfying in not really acknowledging the character until the final moment. But considering all the chaos depicted or referenced in the series, we still have to wonder where he was throughout the ordeal.
Following the flood, Batman is no longer a secret. He was seen in broad daylight helping average citizens. His absence as the Falcone and Moroni crime families go to war is conspicuous. Could the film completely flip expectations and center on where he went in the weeks after revealing himself to the public?
A Batman film set largely outside of Gotham is an intriguing thought. Batman Begins got a lot of mileage out of locales impossible to find in the city. The Dark Knight’s Hong Kong sequence is also pretty striking. The Dark Knight Rises’ scenes set outside of Gotham might be an example of diminishing returns, but director Christopher Nolan’s instinct is the correct one: Placing Batman outside of his usual environment is appealing.
This is a long shot, of course. Reeves, Le Franc, and their collaborators have put a lot of effort into making this Gotham feel lived-in and, more likely than not, The Batman: Part II will pay off on the seeds sown in town during The Penguin. If there was any doubt about that, Matt Reeves himself hinted at the ways in which the relationship between Batman and the Penguin will be different in the sequel:
Matt Reeves shares how the finale of #ThePenguin will connect to #TheBatman Part II. pic.twitter.com/aAGQdbldHW
— Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes) November 11, 2024