With Gotham fans having bid farewell to that bonkers AF series back in 2019, with its version of Oswald Cobblepot finally taking the Penguin mantle, the latest live-action take on the character will be arriving soon for audiences with HBO or a Max subscription. The Colin Farrell-starring crime drama The Penguin, spinning out of Matt Reeves’ 2022 hit The Batman, will immediately follow the film’s events as it sets things in motion for The Batman Part II in 2026. But don’t expect the story to stick entirely to the present day.
Though Penguin is one of Batman’s biggest rogues in the lore, Farrell’s iteration of Oswald Cobblepot is still ascending (or would it be descending?) the ladder to Gotham City’s underworld. And the actor told EW that the series won’t just follow the burgeoning kingpin’s current-day struggles with Cristina Milioti’s Sofia Falcone, but will also dip back a bit, which could theoretically open the door for some comic characters I’d love to see in live-action. Here’s how Farrell explained it:
I loved doing the part in the Batman film and the idea that we would get spoiled by having eight hours to really delve into this character's psychology and backstory. Backstory plays a big part in the television show.
Farrell, who also confirmed that his character's backstory lines up with that of Sofia, didn't share any major details about where that backstory will go, which makes it far easier to speculate about what we want to see. We can assume it'll also involve Michael Zegen's Alberto Falcone, who becomes an iconic Gotham City threat on the page, as well as Scott Cohen's Luca Falcone, one of Carmine's cousins in the comics. And obviously Deirdre O'Connell's Francis Cobb will be central as Oswald's mother. But what about characters who aren't part of The Penguin's cast list?
I'd Love To See The Penguin's Kids In The TV Show
Had Paul Reubens not passed away in 2023, I'd have certainly been one of the loudest people calling for him to quasi-reprise his role as The Penguin's father, which he took on for both Batman Returns and Gotham. And while I'd definitely love to see what another actor could bring to the role, it's not one that resonates very strongly from the source material.
On the other side of his genetic line, however, are Addison and Aiden Cobblepot, a son and daughter who are very much into following in their father's footsteps. Even if it's just to get behind him and set up a sneak attack.
The duo were created by esteemed DC writer Chip Zdarsky and artist Belén Ortega for Batman #126 in the second part of Catwoman's "Two Birds, One Throne" mini-arc. They took on larger roles in Tom King and Rafael de Latorre's ongoing standalone series The Penguin, where Addison has proven to be the more worthy Cobblepot offspring. To that end, if The Penguin TV show wanted to leave Aiden out, no major harm done.
The Penguin: Great Depictions Of The DC Villain In Batman Movies And TV Shows
A key reason why Addison Cobblepot would be a great addition to the live-action series is because Gotham City both honors and destroys generational legacies, and she'd serve as the youngest branch of this criminal empire. And to be sure, I don't even need Penguin's kids to be series regulars. I think it would be extremely cool if it's shown that Oswald did indeed have children before finding his footing as a gangster, only for said children to return to his life later at the most inopportune time, such as when he's trying to wrestle a kingdom away from the Falcones.
Another potential factor in bringing Addison and Aiden into The Penguin would be revealing their mother's identity a detail that has not been explored on the page. Oswald's romantic life is always an awkward topic to address; the comic character addressed having a late wife named Penny in limited capacity, and has a devious lover in King and de Latorre's series, but it's hard to say whether or not these characters would be worth expanding for a TV adaptation.
Not that I really expect any of this to come to fruition, though I do expect the Lauren LeFranc-created spinoff to feature a few surprises along the way in its eight-episode run. I guess I'm really hoping to see Robert Pattinson's Batman more than anyone in the Cobblepot family, if anyone out there is listening. And if Barry Keoghan's Joker has plans to return, all the better.
Batman projects often go back to the past to give viewers (or readers, gamers, etc.) insight into Bruce Wayne’s mindset as a traumatized youth, but his origins have been explored a thousand different ways at this point. As such, it should be a fun and refreshing journey back to the past (for viewers, if not the family’s enemies) when The Penguin arrives.
One of several upcoming DC TV shows on the way, The Penguin will debut across both HBO and Max when it hits the 2024 TV schedule in September.
