Summary
The Penguintook the small screen by storm last year, and now one of the project’s most important pieces weighs in on what it would take him to return for another grueling installment of the highly regarded DC Elseworlds limited series.
The Penguinwas originally in a precarious position, being the only one of multiple planned spin-offs from Matt Reeves’ 2022 hitThe Batmanto be greenlit in the wake of a renewed focus on marquee characters at Warner Bros. Discovery. This led to the limited series taking on the added responsibility of doing a lot of the world-building that Reeves had in mind ahead of The Batman Part II, in addition to giving one of the sequel’s confirmed players a good run. Despite this, the show was a massive success, garnering praise from fans and critics alike that cumulated in a strong showing at award shows. In a first for a DC live-action project,The Penguinwas even directlyreferenced as a benchmark by the competition ahead ofDaredevil: Born Again, which will hit Disney+ in March.
WithThe Penguinbeing top of everyone’s 2024 TV favorites, hopes have been high for a second season despite the project being a limited series, and another important name has indicated interest in returning. As reported byTheWrap, series leading man Colin Farrell addressed the question of signing on for a second installment following his Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series win forThe Penguinat the recently concluded SAG Awards, and fans will like what he has to say. “I go off [of] and agree with what [executive producers] Matt Reeves and Dylan Clark and Lauren LeFranc have said, which is, if they came up with an idea for a second season that was really strong, and we all felt compelled to continue to explore the character of Oz in that way, then for sure,” Farrell confirmed. “It all has to tie in though [to the Batman world]. Matt Reeves is the G.O.A.T. in this world of Gotham right now… He’s the boss, and he established this new vision of Gotham with the Batman film.”
While the character’s massive popularity would ordinarily be motivation enough to return for a second season, Farrell has discussed the many difficulties he faced playing the character of Oz Cobb. Considering that filmingThe Penguinwas reportedly even more tasking thanThe Batmanin at least one wayfor the star and his supporting crew members, it couldn’t be taken for granted that he’d be willing to sign on for another season of the show. As such, Farrell’s conditional willingness is a great win for a potential return and could be something to look forward to for fans between films. Farrell is also acutely aware of the effect another season could have on the mainline films, the next of which he’s already been confirmed to star it. “It has to work in a parallel way.” he remarks, referring to another installment in relation to the films. “So we’ll see what Matt Reeves and the rest of them can come up with. But yeah, I’d be open to it for sure.”
Considering how massive a success it was on streaming and linear TV,The Penguinseason two not being greenlit is a very strange movefrom DC Studios and Warner Bros. Discovery, as the positive press for the DC brand and potential benefit for the Max streaming service would ordinarily be strong motivators for executives. This restraint could be seen as a testament to the respect for Reeves’ creative process andThe Batmanand its related media as Elseworlds projects independent of the mainline franchise. Alternatively, the higher-ups might be taking a lesson from the competition concerning what quantity over quality can net you. This is especially important for DC, as the franchise doesn’t have the massive amount of goodwill the MCU had before it blew it with its bloated Disney+ slate and damning 2023 box office. A lackluster second season ofThe Penguincould do more damage than the successful first season did good.
The Penguinmanaged to exceed any reasonable expectations for a TV spinoff, so much so that the shoe is on the other foot. Now,it’s up toThe Batman Part IIto live up toThe Penguin’sstellar barby properly utilizing the character development and world-building that was done in the series.
The Penguinis available to stream on Max.
The Penguin
Created by Lauren LeFranc and starring Colin Farrell, The Penguin builds on 2022’s The Batman. The Max series chronicles the eponymous villain’s attempt to reach Gotham’s criminal peak, rising through the underworld in the middle of a power struggle.
