The Batman Star Con O’Neill Teases Character Return (Exclusive)

Matt Reeves’ The Batman was released last year, and it saw Robert Pattinson taking on the role of the titular hero. The DC film was mostly a hit with critics and audiences, and DC Studios Co-CEO James Gunn confirmed earlier this year that a sequel to The Batman is still in the works. While fans wait for Part II, a new show set in the same universe is heading to Max. The Penguin will see the return of Colin Farrell as Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot. Now, fans are wondering who else might pop up in the show. ComicBook.com recently had the chance to chat with Con O’Neill about his role as Izzy Hands in Our Flag Means Death, but many will also know the actor as Chief Mackenzie Bock from The Batman. While O’Neill didn’t say if he’d be appearing in The Penguin, he did tease the inevitable return of his character. 

“You’ll see Bock in one form or another,” O’Neill teased. “Soon-ish,” he added. “That’s all I’m allowed to say, really.”

O’Neill continued, “But yeah, listen, do you know what? I loved The Batman. I’m a Batman guy, always have been. Batman, Spider-Man, they were my things when I was growing up. I thought Matt wrote a beautiful script to a great movie, and I thought Rob smashed it out of the f*cking park. So I would absolutely be delighted to go back and do some more. I’m really proud of the movie, and I think they’ve really landed on something special with this version of Batman.” 

You can watch our interview with O’Neill at the top of the page. 

What Is The Penguin About?

According to Max’s Sarah Aubrey, The Penguin is going to further flesh out the seedy underbelly of Gotham and Oswald’s inner circle.

“The goal of this show is to what Oz’s life is like and that’s very much in the streets of Gotham, trying to get up and over as only the Penguin can,” Aubrey said. “As a hustler and a strategist with his own ambitions. It’s a great example of having the time over eight episodes to tell a longer-arc character story with a lot of delicious twists and turns and new characters. It’s very much going to be about Gotham at that street level because he’s not flying around like Batman does. We are all embracing that as a very specific experience for audiences to have.”

Matt Reeves previously spoke about The Penguin and teased what Farrell’s return to the role and spoke about working with producer Dylan Clark and showrunner Lauren LeFranc. 

“Colin exploded off the screen as the Penguin in The Batman, and having the chance to thoroughly explore the inner life of that character on HBO Max is an absolute thrill,” Reeves explained. “Dylan and I are so excited to work with Lauren in continuing Oz’s story as he grabs violently for power in Gotham.”

DC’s The Penguin is expected to premiere in late 2024 on Max with The Batman — Part II currently scheduled to hit theaters on October 3, 2025. You can watch Con O’Neill in Our Flag Means Death on Max.